Bridesmaid Dress Dilemma

Ultimately, the choice of the bridesmaids dress is yours. But of course you'll want a dress that will flatter everyone as much as possible. To make it more likely that each attendant will feel confident and comfortable, some brides ask each bridesmaid to choose her own dress. The bride provides general guidelines for fabric, length, style, color and degree of formality. (There's no rule that bridesmaids need to wear matching dresses.) If it's not too late, this may be the best solution.

It's also possible that the dress you've chosen is beyond your bridesmaid's budget. It might even be that she is looking for a way to get out of participating in the wedding altogether. An honest chat could help you both. If you decide to bring up these topics, though, do so delicately: You don't want to seem as if you're telling her to either wear the dress or forget about being in the wedding.