PHOTOS BY RYAN ZARICHNAK PHOTOGRAPHY

It’s a common formality to avoid wearing white to a wedding to allow the bride to stand out on her big day. However, a new trend is hitting the wedding world — white bridesmaid dresses.

Madison Andreini married Christopher Bell on May 25, 2019. When picking her bridesmaids’ dresses, she knew she did not want a lot of color but rather a more neutral look.

“I originally thought beige, but I also felt like it was being done a lot. Everyone thinks champagne or beige for neutral colors. So I turned to white because no one ever does white and it gave my wedding a little way to stand out,” says Madison.

Once she made the decision, she let her bridesmaids in on the plan. At first, some were confused by the idea and not really sure how it would all turn out.

“My heaviest complaint was my cousin, but once the pictures came back she was shocked and loved it and even said it was the best bridesmaid dress she had,” says Madison.

Jennifer Mason, store manager of MB Bride & Special Occasion, a wedding gown and formal wear store based in Greensburg, says there are design features that can be added to a bridesmaid dress to make sure the bride still stands out. Some details include printed fabrics, a soft sash, a sash with a pop of color or a shawl to go over the dress. Bridesmaids can also contrast the bride through the bouquets they carry down the aisle or flower rings in their hair.

Madison’s bridesmaids carried baby’s breath flowers while she carried an assortment of white and pink flowers. Madison’s wedding gown also featured a lower cut and added details while the bridesmaid’s dresses had a high neckline.

PHOTOS BY LYNNE GOLDSTEIN

At first, Latonya Foster was not sure she would be wearing white when planning her wedding to Omar Foster on June 15 at Nemacolin. In the end, both she and her bridesmaids did.

“It started out with shape. I had a lot of different shapes and sizes and we wanted to be different. I didn’t want the typical bridesmaid dress,” says Latonya.

After some trial and error with different fabrics and colors, Latonya landed on a white bridesmaid dress with a black decal down the middle. When Latonya told her bridesmaids about the look she was going for, they were all as excited as she was.

“They were happy about it. We went from gold to black for their color on the dress. They all loved the particular dress. It was different and it just fit the wedding, even down to the room,” says Latonya. “I showed them my vision and they kept saying, ‘Oh my gosh, that is so nice.’… The white made us stand out and pop and look regal with the building,” says Latonya.

When Madison looks back through her wedding gallery, she can see she achieved her vision of a “bright, airy” vibe.

“I was very satisfied and I loved my pictures. With white, people’s natural beauty stands out,” says Madison. “When someone wears pink or purple, the people at the wedding see the color, but with a white dress they get to see and focus on the girl.”