The Best Bridesmaids' Dresses of 2018

All eyes may be on the bride during the wedding, but that doesn't mean her attendants can't look great, too. This fact is something that the women featured in our real weddings understand, which is why it wasn't hard for us to find a number of beautiful bridesmaids' dresses in the events we shared in 2018. What was hard was narrowing our list down to just 20 well-dressed groups. And we say groups rather than dresses because matching attendants' attire was definitely not the norm this year. Although some bridal parties did wear matching attire, we found that more and more of our brides asked their closest family members and friends to dress in mismatched (but coordinated!) outfits instead.

You won't find basic, boring attire worn by the bridesmaids who did wearing matching attire, though. Take Miya's two attendants, pictured here, for example. The bride asked her two sisters to wear identical rose gold Sorella Vita gowns for her garden wedding in Michigan, and the figure-flattering, shimmering styles were elevated and fun. But we get that not everyone wants to wear color, and if you're not excited about asking your bridal party to wear a hue you love, you'll be pleased to know that white and black bridesmaids' dresses were also popular this year. In fact, there were so many bridal parties wearing these neutral tones that we had to limit our selection to include just two examples of each.

If you're just beginning your own search for stylish, flattering bridesmaids' dresses, let our favorite groups from the last year of real weddings inspire your next shopping trip.

Blue and Purple Bridesmaids' Dresses

Since Julia's entire wedding was inspired by lilacs, it was fitting that the color made its way into the rest of the big-day's details. Her ten bridesmaids' donned mismatched gowns in shades of blue and purple, plus a few floral patterns mixed in.

Black Bridesmaids' Dresses

Classic black bridesmaids' dresses never go out of style, as this group dressed in Bill Levkoff gowns goes to show. For a pop of color, Niara had her 'maids carried bouquets with red blooms, giving more dimension to their looks.

Blush Bridesmaids' Dresses

Ashley knew she wanted her bridesmaids to wear mismatched dresses for her California wedding, but admits that the process of finalizing their selections was much more difficult than she thought it would be. In fact, she says that coordinating the color selection was "extremely difficult." In the end, her 'maids walked down the aisle in an array of different gowns from Reformation, Lulus, BHLDN, and Jenny Yoo, and we'd say her efforts paid off.

Floral Bridesmaids' Dresses

When you're throwing an English garden wedding, floral details are bound to be everywhere. That was bride Peony's thinking when she chose custom Razan Alazzouni dresses for her bridesmaids and cousins. The two different styles featured three-dimensional floral appliqués that coordinated with the rest of the wedding's décor.

All-White Bridesmaids' Dresses

We're big fans of bridal parties wearing white dresses, especially when the bride chooses a colorful look for herself! In the end, Beth asked her bridesmaids to choose actual wedding dresses for her Tennessee ceremony. Her reasoning makes sense: "I never felt prettier than I did trying on wedding dresses and wanted my bridesmaids to feel the same," she says.

Ombré Bridesmaids' Dresses

We can't get enough of Amanda's bridesmaids' ombré gowns, all of which came from Jenny Yoo. The pale pink to purple hues popped against the verdant Tennessee backdrop, and we love that each woman was able to select a silhouette they felt most comfortable in.

Blue Bridesmaids' Dresses

For her wedding in southern Spain, Daphne wanted everything to have a natural, ethereal vibe, so it made sense that her bridesmaids' would wear a mix of different dresses. She asked everyone to chose a solid blue dress they loved from Jenny Yoo Collection, then asked her maid of honor to choose a complementary floral gown.

Hand-Dyed Bridesmaids' Dresses

If you love the look of Anuja's bridesmaids' dresses, know that you'll have to go custom to replicate it. Her cousin and friends all donned hand-dyed blouses and skirts at her wedding in Miami, and their attire was so eye-catching.

Emerald Green Bridesmaids' Dresses

If you love color, go for it. Madeline chose her bridesmaids' emerald green gowns to match the rest of her big-day color palette (which was actually inspired by her wedding shoes!). The ladies stunned in these saturated V-neck dresses from LulaKate.

Patterned Bridesmaids' Dresses

Caitlin didn't give her bridesmaids too much direction in terms of selecting their gowns for her California wedding—she only offered guidance on color family and length. Happily, the bulk of her bridal party arrived at the wedding wearing floral dresses (from designers like Christy Dawn, Reformation, and Jenny Yoo) that all paired beautifully together.

Hand-Sewn Bridesmaids' Dresses

Momina did more than choose the bridesmaids' dresses for her London wedding—she actually worked with a designer in Pakistan to source the fabrics and embellishments and to finalize the designs. "I thought they looked absolutely beautiful, and the biggest compliment to me was that one of the bridesmaids rewore her dress to a recent event where everyone was asking her who designed it."

Wildflower-Inspired Bridesmaids' Dresses

At her wedding, bride Ivana donned three different outfits, so it wasn't surprising that she prioritized high-fashion attire for her bridesmaids, too. Her attendants wore custom made blue gowns from Lan Gui Yu, which were designed to mimic the wildflower theme seen throughout the rest of the wedding.

Eggshell Bridesmaids' Dresses

You'd be wrong to assume Lauren's bridesmaids' dresses were white—the ladies actually donned softer eggshell-colored gowns from Tulle & Chantilly. Each dress was slightly different, and was selected specifically for each woman.

Dusty Pink Bridesmaids' Dresses

Mismatched dresses were everywhere in 2018, including at Kelsey's winter wedding in Santa Barbara. To fit the season, she outfitted her attendants in dusty pink gowns from Joanna August.

Black Bridesmaids' Dresses

Since the bride wore a classic slip dress for her Los Angeles wedding, Kaily outfitted her bridesmaids in a similarly understated look—slim black gowns from Hayley Paige. We loved this chic group's style.

Pastel Bridesmaids' Dresses

Since Rebecca's entire North Carolina wedding was Monet-inspired, it was only fitting that her bridesmaids be dressed in soft pastels. On the big dya, her attendants walked down the aisle in custom dresses by Nha Khanh, and the composed look was stunning.

Mismatched Bridesmaids' Dresses

When it comes to mismatched bridesmaids' dresses, there really are no rules. Case in point: The attendants at Kate's Jersey Shore wedding not only wore different colors, fabrics, and patterns, they also chose dresses in a variety of lengths. By keeping the dresses in the same color family, everything still felt unified.

Dusty Mauve Bridesmaids' Dresses

It was serendipitous that Julianne's bridesmaids wore Joanna August dresses in a shade called "Bohemian Rhapsody," as this is the bride's go-to karaoke song. Even without the personal connection, there's no denying how lovely and unique this group looked at the Virginia wedding.

Champagne Bridesmaids' Dresses

How amazing did Alpana's bridesmaids look in these champagne-hued lenghas, which were custom-made by The Peach Project by Ayesha? "I wanted something bohemian, royal, vintage, and minimalist to go along with our theme," the bride explains of the pearl-bordered pieces she chose. "It was hard to find as it's unusual for Indian clothes, which are typically brightly colored and embellished."