Don't do a Pippa: How to avoid your bridesmaid upstaging you!

What with Royal Wedding mania firmly out of the way (which camp did you belong in: the Wills and Kate fan club or the Royal Wedding hate parade? Here at WeddingTV we loved it, even if we did have to rewind back all the bits we missed due to too much Pimms!), we can now all move on with our lives…Except that now it’s over to the bride’s sister Pippa (little bit in love with her) and her dress (mainly the back of it actually). With this in mind, it was only right that bridesmaid dresses were served up on the fashion menu this week.

Check out the wedding experts for more tips on bridesmaids dresses and bridal makeovers:

So let us, with the help of our gorgeous friends from Girl Meets Dress give you some tips for bridesmaid dresses that turn just the right amount of heads but ensure at least some attention is left over for the bride..(Although, let’s face it, in recent months and weeks, lack of attention was certainly not something Kate appeared to be experiencing.)

Pippa Middleton was a case in point. As she sashayed up the aisle, dutifully attending to her sister’s train, it seems (from reports) that more eyes appeared to be focusing on her derriere, than Kate and her dress. A (slightly too tanned?) Pippa, also in McQueen, looked radiant, in what was a figure-flattering, hint of cleavage bearing (some argued too much) winter white gown. Thanks to not that dress but her dress, Pippa now has a Facebook fan page devoted to her rear (not a member, yet), while many fashion pundits maintain Pippa won in the style stakes, stealing the show from Kate. So, how does one avoid a royal upstaging on one’s wedding day? Firstly, by keeping a tight-rein on said bridesmaids; if you have a budget as ample as that of the Middleton sisters, don’t let your bridesmaid(s) get carried away. It’s not an opportunity for them to let their couture fantasies run wild!

Whether you have a big budget or not, when selecting bridesmaid dresses make sure the design is simple, and doesn’t detract from the bridal gown. Colour-wise, bridesmaid dresses can look nice if they’re matchy-matchy to the bridal gown, but the colour balance needs to be gotten just right. Take Pippa’s dress shade - winter white against her sister’s more subdued ivory may have been just too bold a choice. Bright colours are fine, as long as they don’t clash with the bride’s dress. Stylistically, keep it simple and flattering, but not too flattering. You no doubt are looking to avoid at Kate/Pippa situation- all eyes should be on the bride! So without further ado, here are our top stylist recommendations for dresses all available to hire from Girl Meets Dress Wedding Boutique.