"Definitely. So true."

The bridesmaid dress is a very peculiar thing, an oddity that I have yet to have a pleasant experience with.

I think it's safe to say that I have many OCD-esque qualities, and having everything match and being absolutely perfect kind of falls into that category. If the bridesmaids dress is blue, then anything else that is blue has to be that exact. same. shade.

Needless to say, I'm running into problems. I'm very particular about the shade of blue I want, and it's starting to look like no one really has that color in stock. Granted, I know the winter months are coming, and the Tiffany's-blue-but-more-blueish-than-that-but-maybe-more-aqua color that I want isn't really en vogue at present. But even online, how am I supposed to know if that is the color that I want? The tiny swatch at the side of the screen does nothing for me. What if it's more aqua than blue? What if it's not even close at all, and it's a mint green? I don't want my bridesmaids looking like they have a strange obsession with mint ice cream.

I know that I'm not exactly the most fashion forward person (let's be real, if I could wear a v-neck and cardigan every day, I would...and I have for probably the past week), but I would like to think that I do know a thing or two about what is and is not a good look for a wedding....and everything I'm seeing is NOT a good look. And if it gets even relatively close, it's out of this world expensive. I just don't see the point of shelling out that much cash for something that I can guarantee they WON'T wear again. And I've considered the whole "same color different dress" idea, but I need to find the color first, and even then I feel like the dresses still need to be a little bit cohesive style wise. (Am I sounding like a control freak yet? Because I am...)

I want my bridesmaids to look and feel not only beautiful, but comfortable. And I really do want them to be able to wear the dress again. So, at present, my solution is to start looking outside the normal bridesmaids dress designers and maybe look at more "un"bridesmaids dresses. But what if they're TOO un-bridesmaidsy? I mean, I think there's a line that I shouldn't cross, but I'm afraid that I will. Like patterned dresses...is that too much? Our wedding will be pretty casual, but I'm not sure if it will be that casual.

What do you think? Are patterned dresses a "no-no"? And be honest, do bridesmaids REALLY wear their dresses again? I don't want to go along thinking that they like it and will wear it again, when everyone else knows they won't. (Think 27 Dresses: "You can shorten it and wear it again!" "Definitely. So true.")

I just don't know these things.

But I DO know this: I have the best bridesmaids ever. They're willing to wear whatever I ask, but I trust they'll tell me when they don't like it....hopefully.