Always a Bridesmaid? Always best dressed! Let’s all take a moment to thank the Gods of wedding fashion for finally cutting the poor bridesmaids some slack!

Gone are the terrifying patterns, unnecessary frills, and–honestly–UGLY bridesmaids’ dresses that condemned sisters, friends, and cousins to entire days trapped in sympathetic awkwardness.

These days, Brides have changed their tune and don’t seem to be purposely trying to torment their Bridesmaids...in most cases.

(To each their own.)

The dresses tend to be slimmer, more romantic in style, and flowy. They’re cut for a much more flattering fit, subtly textured or patterned, even personally chosen by the Bridesmaids according to a loose set of guidelines set by the Bride. There’s a much more flexible understanding that not all bodies fit the same dress, which allows for so much more fun in the wedding ensemble planning!

Brittany + Chris | Madeline Barr Photography

Dress length has strayed away from the shorter cocktail style, opting for floor-length skirts that add a higher level of sophistication and can be tailored to be shorter later if desired. A big trend that came about a few years ago and has stuck around was the varying shades or textures of a single color. This creates a cohesive look instead of a copy-paste mentality and adds depth to photos, transforming a wall of fabric into defined individual people.

Devon + Collin | Laurie Ashley Photography

The new rule of thumb seems to be: if it looks good with the bouquet, it goes! In some cases, the Bride can choose to have her Bridesmaids in several different colors or varying dress styles that still fit within her idea for the event. This allows the group to personalize their dress and choose which shade and cut compliment them better.

Brittney + Alfred | Fleeting Fox Photography

There are so many colors, cuts, textures that can all be combined to fit a Bride’s vision for her big day! Ideally, everyone understands that what the Bride wants should be all that matters. This is why we will always appreciate the Brides who factor in their Bridesmaids’ feelings to their final decisions.

Groomsmen

We have to be honest; groomsmen get the easy part of this whole wardrobe process. A classic suit is hard to beat, and when a group of sharp suits gets together, there’s timeless magic that arises.

Julie + Adam | Mike Thezier Photography

Whether the suits are a traditional black, shades of gray, handsome blues–or even the newest craze in shades of green, the variation of suit style over the years has been minimal. The old saying rings true here. If it ain’t broke, why fix it?

Ginny + Michael | Singler Photography

Groomswomen and Bridesmen

Recently, we’ve seen more Bridal parties incorporate Bridesmen and Groomswomen in the mix. We’re all for it, and these party members offer a whole new range of wedding ensemble possibilities to consider! We’ve seen suits in the same shade as the bridesmaids’ dresses, dresses that match the groomsmen, tailored women’s suits to match the groomsmen, and options in between.

Abby + Jimmie | Chris Ellis Photography

If you’re lucky enough to be in this position, feel free to play around with the possibilities and see what overall look the happy couple is aiming for. It’s still a somewhat undefined area, so dare to write the rules!

Brittney + Alfred | Fleeting Fox Photography

Rustic Romance at the Ranch

We wish more of our clients used the front of our historic Hacienda for their ceremony backdrop!

For big groups like Sydney and Kevin’s guest list, this vast space is perfect!

These charming flower girls nearly stole the show!

Delighting everyone by surprise, we can’t think of a better way to honor beloved family members by including them in the wedding ceremony.

After a heartfelt ceremony, this happy couple shared their first of many kisses as Husband and Wife!

The “I Do” Glow never gets old!

As the family and Bridal Party stayed behind for pictures, the rest of the guests made their way through the Hacienda courtyard to the main reception area.

Once there, guests enjoyed craft cocktails, music, and were encouraged to sign the happy couple’s guestbook.

Personal Touch Dining kept the drinks flowing and delicious bite-sized appetizers always on hand!

As always, all of their food is made fresh and on-site!

As an extra treat, the love birds asked to provide a Leaning Tower of “Cheese-a” for guests to help themselves to as well!

On top of our plethora of lawn games we provide, The Happy Camper Photo Bus added one more way for guests to have fun throughout the night.

Finally, it was time for everyone to find their seats, so the night’s formal events could begin.

Fun DIY seating charts like this are cute, unique, and economical!

With so many guests, Sydney and Kevin had a wide variety of seating options.

Half the guests sat at Farm Tables, which not only look fantastic at our rustic venue but also need very little in the way of decoration because of their gorgeous dark wood finish!

At each seat, the guests found their names, hand-written by the Bride and Groom, on terracotta coasters.

These doubled as escort cards and fun favors to take home!

Back from family and romantic sunset pictures, with David Manning Photographer, the newlyweds finally rejoined the party with the Grand Entrance!

We love this shot of these two framed in a tunnel made by their Bridal Party.

Often the first time a couple gets to sit down and relax, the moment the grand entrance finishes, Personal Touch Dining offers them a tray of appetizers and helps our Event Coordination Team plate-up their dinner for them.

After an exquisite and plentiful Mexican Style Buffet dinner, guests enjoy a champagne toast, and then got ready for dessert by getting a little dancing in with DJ Nick Weiss!

Most couples these days opt-out of a grand, multi-tiered wedding cake and go for a small Couple’s cake for the cake-cutting ceremony.

Personal Touch Dining offered a mouth-watering donut spread for perfect to-go desserts to keep the dancing going!

We loved working with this incredible couple and their talented coordinator, Jessica Nelson, and can’t wait to see what their future holds!

Thanks to all the fantastic vendors who helped us make the day possible.

A special shout-out goes to Personal Touch Dining for their diverse skill-set and expertise in everything they do!

Vendors

Personal Touch Dining

David Manning Photographer

The Happy Camper Photo Bus

Jamul Flowers

DJ Nick Weiss

Jessica Nelson– “Plan, Prep, Party” Event Coordinator

Joann Lane– “Ceremonies de Vie.”