I spent months searching for the best bridesmaid dresses for my sister's wedding – these made the cut

Wedding season is here. Equal parts exciting and stressful, especially when you are the one standing beside the bride. This September, my sister is getting married, and despite working in fashion, I have found the whole process of choosing a dress strangely paralysing. Because (unlike any other outfit decision) a bridesmaid dress carries a specific kind of pressure. You want to feel like yourself, all while fitting seamlessly into somebody else's vision for their most important day.

The truth is, finding a bridesmaid dress is rarely just about the dress itself. It is about understanding the setting, the tone of the wedding and the role you want your look to play within it. A formal city wedding calls for something entirely different than a barefoot ceremony by the sea. Some brides want matching dresses; others prefer a shared colour palette with individual silhouettes. Some welcome prints and embellishment, while others want something cleaner and more restrained.

Related: The best wedding guest dresses to shop for every type of dress code

Before choosing anything, there are practical questions worth asking. What has the bride actually requested? How formal is the venue? And how long will you be in this dress? From the ceremony through to the last song? Most importantly: will you feel comfortable in it for an entire day, in front of cameras, family and a very full dance floor? The answers tend to narrow things down faster than any edit.

My sister gave us very little direction beyond one request: earth tones. She had no demands on strict silhouettes. She had no colour swatches pinned on her Pinterest board and was not too fussed about matching gowns. Each bridesmaid could choose whatever felt true to her own style. It sounded like a gift at first, but turned out to be trickier than I thought. I searched for months. I tried silk slips, draped chiffon, structured satin, open backs, halternecks and beyond. Long sleeves, short sleeves, and no sleeves, all while moving through every shade of muted brown and sage and champagne, second-guessing every option I landed on.

All to say, I have been through the bridesmaid gauntlet and feel particularly apt to recommend dresses for those still on the hunt.

If you are a bride-to-be feeling undecided about what your bridesmaids should wear, the options are broader than you might think. A shared colour palette with different silhouettes can feel more considered than matching gowns. Letting each person choose something entirely her own with variations of colours and different cuts can produce the most beautiful results of all: the kind that look composed in photographs without having been coordinated to within an inch of their lives.

After months of searching for my own, I suspect most bridesmaids want the same thing: a dress that will still seem worth wearing once the wedding is a memory.

Below, a curated edit of the bridesmaid dresses worth considering now.

Related: I almost bought the wrong wedding shoes. This is the bridal edit that will make sure you don't

Yellow may not be the most traditional bridesmaid colour, which is exactly why it feels interesting. Softer butter tones read beautifully at outdoor ceremonies, where they catch the afternoon light in a way that photographs well. Deeper mustard shades do something different entirely, bringing the kind of richness that suits a candlelit dinner or early-autumn reception. Against end-of-summer bronzed skin and gold jewellery, either shade earns its place.

The Dagmar mustard dress is a particular standout for a formal outdoor wedding. With a matching cape you can layer over it offers both coverage and movement as the evening cools. The Taller Marmo kaftan dress, meanwhile, proves how versatile yellow can be: styled with flat sandals and loose hair it is entirely relaxed and bohemian, while embellished clip-on earrings and thin strappy sandals transform it into something far sharper.

Few colours set a mood as quickly as orange. A brighter tangerine shade feels sun-soaked and bold and just the right choice for a destination wedding or somewhere near the sea. On the other hand, burnt orange is quieter and easier to wear. Especially with an Aperol Spritz in hand at the beginning of a very long, very exciting evening.

The key with orange is letting the colour speak for itself. The Mango ruffled flowing dress is one of the standout picks with a silhouette that feels unmistakably Chloé-coded without the designer price point. Light as the wind, with cascading ruffles and soft movement through the body, it captures the same romantic bohemian ease that has dominated recent runways. Exactly the kind of dress that works barefoot by the beach.

Brown has become one of fashion's most convincing neutrals in recent seasons. Head-to-toe chocolate and espresso, worn with suede and gold provides a warmth that black never quite can compete with. Within an earth-toned wedding palette, especially, it adds depth in a way that softer neutrals don't.

The By Malina maxi dress in intense chocolate brown is one of my personal favourites for my sister's wedding. The slip silhouette keeps the look clean, while the long scarf detail elevates the whole ensemble. Styled with brown suede heels, gold bangles and a natural, flushed face it comes across as elegant without trying too hard. And if a fully tonal look feels too expected, brown works beautifully against muted contrasts too: dusty sage, faded peach or lilac. Slightly intellectual in the way Dries Van Noten or Prada approach colour. Rich, layered and far more memorable than conventional wedding dressing.

Champagne, taupe and metallic tones remain some of the most enduring bridesmaid choices for good reason. They catch the light beautifully beside the bride and bring a sense of softness and luxury without competing for attention. But metallics are far more personal than they first appear. A cool silver can look extraordinary against cooler undertones, creating an almost monochromatic low-contrast effect that feels very clean and modern. On warmer or deeper skin tones, bronze, taupe and richer champagne shades tend to shine, bringing warmth into the face rather than washing it away.

The styling becomes part of the colour story itself. A silver dress paired with cooler make-up tones and a plum lip feels sharper and more cinematic. Warmer metallics sit beautifully against bronzed skin and a sun-kissed finish. Take the Shona Joy gown, for example, which captures that liquid-gold effect and remains a timeless choice. Toteme's slouch-waist dress in taupe takes a more restrained approach with its elongated and slightly intellectual in its proportions.

Pink remains one of the most romantic choices for a wedding, but the best versions avoid feeling overly sweet. A structured blush gown feels sharp and modern for a city wedding; softer fabrics and draped silhouettes lean more bohemian. Letting each bridesmaid choose her own shape keeps the overall look cohesive too, without looking over-coordinated.

The styling matters just as much. Pink works best when everything else feels restrained: brushed-out hair, minimal jewellery and satin heels over anything heavily embellished. One standout is the Solace London gown: a sculptural strapless dress with an attached scarf that brings movement and drama without overpowering the simplicity of the silhouette. For beach weddings or outdoor ceremonies, the Staud dress offers a softer, more relaxed take on pink dressing.

Burgundy has taken on a different role in fashion recently. Seen everywhere from the runway to street style, the colour brings depth to a wedding in a way softer neutrals simply cannot. Oxblood satins and darker cherry shades feel particularly right for autumn and winter weddings as the colour is rich without feeling heavy.

The mood of a burgundy dress changes entirely depending on the silhouette. A silky slip dress feels especially strong for a city wedding in late autumn. The Casona dress captures that mood perfectly, with a slight mystery that a black-tie bridesmaid look should carry. For garden weddings, the Matteau dress takes burgundy somewhere more undone.

Purple is one of those colours people often hesitate around as it can often come across too sugary, too formal, and sometimes too difficult to wear. But the right shades change everything. A washed lilac or softer lavender feels airy and almost ethereal for spring weddings, especially within a pastel bridal palette where the lighter tones blur beautifully together in photographs. Deeper violet shades, meanwhile, carry something far more luxurious into winter nuptials

The Victoria Beckham satin gown is refined in its restraint as the asymmetric open back brings just enough tension to the silhouette without pushing it into something overly revealing. For something moodier, the Malene Birger silk slip dress leans into the richness of deep violet beautifully. The fluid silk catches movement softly, making it suited for autumn weddings where the colour almost deepens as the evening goes on.

A blue bridesmaid dress rarely feels out of place beside a wedding dress. After all, there is a reason blue has remained tied to wedding traditions for centuries. Beyond its symbolism, it is simply one of the most universally flattering colours for a wedding. The mood shifts entirely depending on the shade, as well. Dove blue is soft and weightless for spring, while deeper indigo and midnight tones bring structure and formality to evening receptions, black-tie occasions and colder seasons.

The Bernadette gown captures the richness with a body-skimming dress in a dramatic midnight blue. The sharper shape and neckline stop it from feeling overly traditional. In contrast, an airy dove-blue Filippa K dress is softer and more understated with a fluid shape moves effortlessly in daylight, making it suited to outdoor ceremonies or a summer wedding.

carries a different kind of elegance as a bridesmaid colour. Sage tones are softer and calming for destination weddings, while deeper moss and forest shades suits city settings. The shade itself often decides the mood of the event before the silhouette has become a part of the consideration.

My best friend, who is also one of the bridesmaids, will be wearing the below maxi dress in sage green. The adjustable straps completely change the shape depending on how they are tied, making the dress adaptable and more personal. Potentially, an entire bridal party can wear this one dress tied in different ways for a look of cohesive variation.

A black bridesmaid dress is, strictly speaking, one of the more rule-breaking choices you can make. Traditionally, black was considered inappropriate for weddings as it was and is associated with mourning rather than celebration, and thought to draw too stark a contrast beside the bride's white gown. That convention has been softening for years, and today black bridesmaid dresses have become a trend: a sleek, modern alternative embraced by brides who want something more cinematic and less conventional for their day. If your bride has specifically requested it black can feel sharp, elegant and surprisingly timeless.

The key, as always, is keeping the silhouette refined rather than overly revealing. A sculptural body-skimming dress feels strong in its simplicity while softer flowing fabric adds dramatic movement. The ILA satin gown balances both. The scarf detail with fringed edges catches movement and gives the dress a more festive edge without overpowering the look itself. The sort of dress you will almost certainly reach for long after the wedding ends.