Dressing the Ladies

Part of having a low eco-footprint wedding was figuring out what to do about dresses for our four bridesmaids, groomsmaid, and three moms of honor.

Here is the ideal situation as it played out in my head:
I send out an email inviting all of the veggie sisters to be bridesmaids. I send them a brief email explaining the concept of mismatched bridesmaids dresses. They talk amongst themselves, the groomsmaid, and the veggie moms and discover that all of them already own dresses made from eco-friendly materials and purchased from companies that support fair trade practices. And what luck! These dresses happen to be in colors that don't clash with each other and fall within our wedding color scheme. On our big day they pull said dresses out of their closets. They look gorgeous. Since the dresses are already a part of their clothing artillery, they are used many more times and loved thoroughly.

Reality Check:
I email the veggie sisters giving a less-than-clear idea of what I am looking for. They talk amongst themselves and finally tell my mom that they have no idea what I want. We go back and forth. I make several inspiration boards that include yellow and brown mismatching dresses. After several email and phone conversations my sisters remind me that we are all very pale, and my idea of yellow and brown dresses eventually morphs into earthtones, and then into taupe/grey. Oldest Veggie Sis Kale decides that I am entirely too laid back about the whole affair, takes charge, makes a powerpoint with dress options, and gives the girls a kick in the butt. They all (including the veggie moms) run to their nearest mall or favorite online store and purchase new dresses.

To be fair, they all had a hearty dig through their closets before heading out to purchase something new, and have all assured me that they will definitely reuse the dresses they bought. So far, this is how it stands with one mom, one groomsmaid, and one veggie sis still yet to purchase their dresses.

Bridesmaids:Sources: Veggie Sis Eggplant: J. Crew, Veggie Sis Kale: Calypso, Veggie Sis Tomato: Anthropologie

Moms of Honor:

Sources: FMIL Veggie: Nordstrom's, Momma Veggie: Lord and Taylor

I don't feel great about the eco impact of this part of our wedding, but I am happy with their choices and am glad that they've all found dresses that they will use again. What do you think? What direction should I steer my last three ladies in to pull the look together?