What is Blue?

First a test of your color knowledge--
Can you picture what these colors look like? Passion, Cognac, Clove, Clover, Olive, Dusty Blue, Regal Blue, Light Blue, Dark Blue, Topaz Blue, Plum, Amethyst, Eggplant, Rose, Primrose, Leaf, Fern
This list leaves me very confused. Are leaf and fern the same color or something different? How about Clove and Clover? I think of Clove as a spice which is brown in the container but the designer has it as a green shade. Passion fruit is a red/pink but passion fabric is purple. I thought that Plum and Eggplant were the same but find they are different.
Where do all of these come from and why does it have to be so confusing?

One of the first decisions a brides makes about her wedding day is the color of the bridesmaid gown. These colors can come from their favorite outfit to a sentimental stuffed animal from the groom. But what does that mean when the brides goes gown shopping and cannot match the color of choice with the style of gown choice? Here are some things to consider before making a final choice on color and style.

1. All companies are free to name colors whatever they want.
So if you go into a store looking for an apple dress, it could be red or it could be green. Yellow may be bright or pastel or something in between. So if you are considering a certain shade, do
not use a specific name. Have a swatch of what you are looking for. Brides have used paint swatches, ribbon pieces or just about anything else that shows the color. You do not want to miss out on the perfect gown because you are thinking pink and the bridal consultant is looking for purple.

2. Be flexible.
Just because the county fair offered a monkey in the most beautiful shade of pink that you would like for your bridesmaid, the same shade may not be available from bridesmaid designers. This can and will cause major headaches when there is no room for compromise. Be willing to find the closest match in the perfect style for all your bridesmaids.

After working with hundreds of brides and bridesmaids, who is the easiest to please? Those without lots of preconceived ideas. Yes, you should have something in mind about your bridesmaid style or color but be willing to look at all the options.
If the brides knows that she would like something blue, then she is open to all the designers. Therefore if she fall in love with a specific style of gown, she does not need to worry that it will not be available in her color.
One of my first suggestions would be to consider style before color. You know the size and shape of your bridesmaid, so find something that will look good on all the body types. Then see what is available from the designer. You may need to change the color just a little depending upon what the designer offers.

Horror Story from the past:
I once had a bride looking for bridesmaid dresses. This was some time ago, so I don't even recall what color she was wanting. She comes into the shop with a bouquet for the wedding. Someone in her family was making the flowers and already had one done. The problem what that the flowers did not match anything from any of the almost 20 designers that I carry. So I suggested that maybe they change the flowers a little. Well she almost cried--they had already purchased all the flowers for all the bouquets, reception decoration, ceremony decoration and anything else you can think of for the wedding and reception. The only thing she didn't have was the gowns. So I started suggesting maybe a black gown that would show off the flowers or champagne that would go with anything. But she was determined to have the color she wanted. Obviously, this was not a good situation for anyone.

So when considering colors options for weddings, look at all that is out there. Many designers now offer over 50 color choices. The same is true for tuxedo companies with vest colors. Although I usually say that we can match anything, there are some exceptions. Remember to check them all out before making a large purchase that you cannot match.