Mix florals with block shades. JY Jenny Yoo Bridesmaid style JY534 left, Alfred Sung Style D745 purple right.

Are you getting married on a hot tropical beach somewhere? Or surrounded by the beautiful colors of the desert? Somewhere that it's likely to be humid and warm? 

Most, if not all, summer brides want the sun to shine brightly on their wedding days - the wedding photographs look wonderful, gardens look fabulous, everybody is relaxed and you can continue the party outside into late in the summer night.

But what if you're marrying in a really hot destination?  How will your bridesmaids cope? How can you ensure that they feel comfortable in the dresses they're wearing when the temperature gauge is up in the nineties?

To help you along, we've picked out some Dessy bridesmaid dresses that would work well in a tropical setting. Remember to think about your colors too. If you're marrying in dazzling sunlight then bright colors usually work best - think hot pinks, purples, emerald greens and oranges. Jewel colors will look incredible. 

Forget long sleeves - go for strapless, sleeveless or halter necklines. And nothing that's too closely fitted.

Follow our tips and you can be happy that you've dressed your girls so they stay cool and comfortable. 

If you want your maids to wear long dresses then a split is a great option as it will let the skirt flow in the breeze. Above we have Alfred Sung Style D745 on the left, Studio Design Collection Style 4523 on the right. Both styles come in a dazzling array of different shades. 

The two dresses above would look amazing on a white sandy beach. 

Left: After Six Bridesmaid style 1505, After Six Bridesmaid style 6782

There are many different strapless and sleeveless necklines to choose from, so your maids will find something flattering for them which they love. 

It's also in this setting that the Dessy Twist Wrap Dress comes into its own - particularly in its latest incarnation with a chiffon overskirt. Your girls can drape it as they feel comfortable and it packs in a suitcase beautifully. It's also the sort of frock they'll want to wear over and over again after your wedding day.

On your big day you want to have happy, smiling bridesmaids in your photographs. Fabulous pictures that show your squad looking and feeling great.

One way of making sure your girls feel that way is by making sure that they're wearing the right dresses. For them (as well as you). So here's how to get it right.

Think about your own wedding dress

Your bridesmaid dresses need to work with your wedding gown. So if you're wearing a boho kind of a dress, don't dress the girls up in formal structured dresses in fabrics like satin. Let it flow. Think about it. Will the looks you have in mind for your bridesmaids work with your wedding dress or do you need to consider making some alternations to your ideas?

What about the weather?

When are you getting married? You won't want to dress your girls in flowing chiffon in the depths of a snowy winter. Or heavier satins for a beach wedding. Think carefully about the style and materials and the time of year (you can order fabric swatches from Dessy while you make your mind up).

Do you really want your girls to all wear the same?

No two girls are exactly the same shape and size and each one will have features they are happy to show off and others they'd prefer to disguise. So you really don't need to dress your girls all the same.

Of course you can have the same color and the same length of dress, but mix it up a bit with different necklines and possibly waistlines. Your squad will thank you for it.

Allow time to get your bridesmaid dresses

If you're ordering from Dessy, we recommend that you order your dresses so that you receive them at least two weeks before your wedding day.

We have a big selection of in-stock bridesmaid dresses that are shipped 1-3 business days from the date of the order, whilst our special order dresses ship around 9-10 weeks from the time you place your order.

Wear shoes of the right height when trying on dresses

When your girls are trying out different dresses, make sure they are wearing shoes. If they're wearing heels on your big day, they'll make a difference to how the dress hangs (and the length of course). So take along heels of a similar height. Same thing if they're wearing flats - you need to see how the dresses look with flats - girls can change their minds you know!

Think about colors

There are some colors which make a girl look fantastic and others that make her look washed out. Ask your girls which colors they feel particularly suit them and which don't. Of course, at the end of the day it's up to you but you might like to moderate your ideas a little (you could have an ombre effect or dress girls in two different shades, which looks very chic).

All images taken from Dessy Facebook page.

The one-shouldered gown style has never really gone away. In fact, if you think about it, it's been in vogue since the Ancient Greeks.

Images from left: Social Bridesmaids Style 8156, After Six Bridesmaids Style 6706 Blush Garden, Dessy Collection Style 2905

One-shoulder dresses are flattering, feminine and timeless. If you're happy for your maids to wear different necklines, then mixing in some one-shouldered styles will make some girls very happy. Here's what you need to know.

• One-shouldered bridesmaids dresses will flatter girls with broad shoulders and athletic physiques.
• You can choose a ruched or a draped style.
• Think that only girls with a small bust can wear one shoulder styles? Then think again. Well-endowed girls can wear them too and in fact they offer more support than a strapless gown. 
• But if a girl has a smaller bust then a one-shoulder gown will flatter that too, particularly if it's ruched or draped.
• Forget about wearing necklaces with this style. Instead opt for chandelier earrings or a statement cuff. Necklaces would just look untidy.
• Depending on the effect you want, you can choose a style in a floaty chiffon or a sophisticated satin. Floaty chiffon one-shoulder styles would look amazing at a beach wedding.
• If you are having an afternoon wedding, check out Dessy's cocktail style dresses that are shorter - but still in one-shouldered styles.
• One-shoulder styles have been worn by some real style icons - Elizabeth Taylor, Princess Diana and more recently Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Penelope Cruz ...the perfect red carpet look.
• A word of warning. Make sure you don't have any tanlines (same applies when you're wearing a strapless dress). Either tan evenly (in a strapless bathing suit) or use fake tan (a few days before so it doesn't mark your dress). 
• Dessy has a selection of one shoulder bridesmaid dresses in a myriad of different colors. Start taking a look here. 

Images from left:Alfred Sung Style D691, Dessy Collection Style 2905, After Six Bridesmaids Style 6706After Six Bridesmaids Style 6706 

As a bride to be, you probably spend quite a bit of your time just now looking at wedding blogs like this one and thinking about ideas. 

Particularly if you haven't quite decided on a wedding theme just yet. 

Maybe you look at some of the adventurous themes out there (we're thinking of Game of Thrones, Twilight, Frozen) and thinking that although they look amazing, they're not quite for you. 

You'd like something a little more timeless. A little more subtle. A theme that's not going to make you shudder when you look at your wedding photographs a few years down the line. 

Which is why a white and gold wedding theme might just be what you're looking for.

White and gold are in fact neutrals.

If you're a traditional sort of a bride you'll be wearing a wedding dress in a pale shade - maybe a white or an ivory. And gold will go beautifully with it. 

• Have a gold thread woven into your bodice
• Wear golden wedding shoes 
• Have golden ornaments in your hair

What about your bridesmaids? They could be on trend with sequinned dresses. Maybe in separates of white and gold or block colours. 

You could put them in long white gloves (see the picture above).

From left: Dessy Bridesmaid Dress 3011, After Six Bridesmaid style S1509

At your reception

As for your wedding tables, this is where a white and gold theme will really come into its own. Talk about the wow factor. 

• We're thinking clouds of white flowers on the tables. Delicate golden chairs. Maybe white chiffon sashes or mix it up with metallics. 
• Have a wedding cake subtly brushed with gold leaf. Or up the glamor factor with shiny gold layers. 
• Gold cutlery and white plates with gold detail. Talk to your caterer or wedding stylist about what is available. 

The thing is, you can be as bling or as low key as you want to me. You can make your reception look like the court of King Midas or just have a whisper of gold throughout a largely white theme.

Gold calligraphy on your wedding invitations. And gold edges.

Enjoy the planning! 

Preston Bailey Ivanka Trump Wedding 

Main image credits from top left: Preston Bailey Ivanka Trump wedding, gold temporary tattoo from Etsy, gold wedding cake via Pinterest, gold table setting by Elizabeth Anne Designs, gold nail art via Nenuno, other images via Dessy Facebook page. 

There is a reason why kings and queens over the ages have enveloped themselves in rich, dark reds and majestic purples - it is a color combo that just oozes opulence, warmth and a celebration of life.

And these colors are just perfect for fall or winter if you don't want to go down the russet, orange and earth shades route. 

Image left Elizabeth Cake Emporium, After Six Bridesmaids Style 6697

Just look at the sheer exuberance captured in these ideas. You can also mix purples and red up with gold. 

Dress one maid in a dark purple, the other in a striking flame red. (Or mix up the two shades with Dessy's clever collection of separates.) 

Left to right: Social Bridesmaids Style 8186, Social Bridesmaids Style 8159

Have trails of purple orchids and red roses festooning the lengths of your tables. Tie your chairs with alternating chiffons in flame and aubergine colors. 

If you want to get this theme right, you have to work it to the full - it's not a choice if you're the shy, retiring sort. 

From left: Social Bridesmaids Style 8182, Dessy Collection Maternity Bridesmaid Dress M432

Browse through the different shades of Pantone purples and reds on offer. (The joy of using a Pantone color is that you can share it with your caterer, your florist, your stationer and know that you're matching everything up just the way you want it. 

Other ideas for using purple and red

• Let your bridesmaids wear purple shoes with red dresses (or the other way around if you prefer)
• Carry a bunch of red roses and choose purple blooms for your maids
• Wrap your red roses in purple ribbon
• Let your bridegroom and his party get in on the act with purple cravats and vests (or may be red, or maybe mix up both colors, alternating between the groomsmen)
• Drive off in a red car?
• Talk to your florist about dark purple and red flower choices
• Have dark purple petals interspersed with red for your wedding confetti
• Maybe have rose and violet chocolate creams on your wedding tables  

Just some of the red and purple shades you can choose for bridesmaid dresses from Dessy

Main picture image credits: 

Tothebrideandgroomupdate.blogspot.com, linentablecloth.com, dkdesignshawaii.blogspot.co.uk

Blue is an ideal color to choose for your wedding day for all sorts of reasons.

• You'll find plenty of flowers in blue
• It works through spring, summer and winter
• There are so many shades of blue that you're sure to find one that suits your taste - and your bridesmaids.

How To Choose The Right Shade

Unless your bridesmaids are all identical, which is unlikely, then they're going to have different skin tones and different complexions. A color that looks fantastic on one girl could drain the look of another.

So you need to rethink choosing one color and have different hues of the same shade, so that you can mix and match to suit each girl. Somebody who's fair skinned and blonde might look wonderful in a pale ice blue. And a girl with brown eyes and darker coloring would suit something brighter.

To help you choose, you can use our Pantone color tools with different color swatches. Hold them up to each girl and see which shades bring out the best in them. All our bridesmaid dresses come in a variety of different Pantone colors so you're bound to find one that's right.

From left: After Six Bridesmaid style 1505, Alfred Sung Style D745

What About Bridesmaid Dress Designs?

Don't feel either that you have to put your girls in the same style frocks. Look at the photographs above and think about who would suit a halter neck, who'd look good in something strapless and who would look best in sleeves. Dessy has plenty of designs to browse through. If your girls are curvaceous, Dessy styles are all available in plus sizes and if you've young, pre-teen bridesmaids who are too old to be flowergirls but won't fit an adult style, then check out our Junior Bridesmaid dresses.

From left: Jenny Packham Bridesmaid Style JP1001, After Six Bridesmaids Style 6784

Think About The Seasons

If you're marrying in winter, then rich deep blues and cool ice blues would look wonderful. In spring you could match the colors of spring flowers like hyacinths. For summer, both pastels and brights would work. Maybe pastels for a rural wedding and country style flowers?

A Final Trick

For your wedding bouquet, you could choose the blue shades that your bridesmaids are wearing. And then get the counter-contrast by having all-white bouquets made for your maids, to tie in with your wedding dress.

Now that would be stylish.

Will you be putting your girls in blue? Or have you another color in mind?

All bridesmaid dresses shown by Dessy 

A few readers have asked us about gold bridesmaid dresses and we're happy to oblige.

Gold is a fabulous wedding choice. It has a mood of celebration about it and wedding rings are traditionally gold of course! 

It also works well as a neutral, which could be a surprise to you. You can match gold with many other shades - pinks, purples, blues, greens...

From left: After Six Bridesmaids Style 6784, Bella Bridesmaids style BB107

As for textures, you might want to work the metallic trend and have gold sequinned bridesmaid dresses, like those shown above (which also come in a subtle rose gold).  Or maybe gold gowns in a silky satin.

From left: Dessy Bridesmaid Dress 3002, JJenny Yoo Bridesmaid Style JY537

To keep the gold low key, look at our shimmering golden dresses.

From left: After Six Bridesmaids Style 6781, After Six Bridesmaid Dress 6761

Thinking about colors

If you're planning a wedding and trying to make sure that every aspect of it is color-coordinated, rest assured in knowing that you're not the first bride to take on a task like this.

From left: Flower Girl Dress FL4053, Studio Design Collection Style 4534

Here are some tips if you're still unsure about colors. Getting your colors right will make your wedding 'sing' beautifully - but if they're wrong, the whole look have a jarring note.

1. Think about the venue. If your venue has a certain color of walls or carpet that stand out, you should consider this before picking a color scheme that will clash with the actual venue.
2. Know exactly what kind of colors you're working with. Saying 'green' just isn't going to cut it. There are way too many shades of each color green. Make sure you know specifically what colors you're working with so that you don't end up purchasing things that are in the wrong hue.
3. Think about where you'll be using the color. It's quite popular to use color in the invitations, wedding cake, flowers, and favors. Of course you can think outside the box with this, but plan on using your colors here first and foremost.

Make sure you pick colors you love! Have fun!

Wedding trends are something that we here at Dessy keep a key eye on and one that looks as though it's going to be big in 2018 and 2019 is a white wedding with black accents. 

It's a stylish way of adding a classic individuality to your big day. 

How to get white with black accents right 

• Think about how you're going to dress your bridesmaids. You can go for separates - a white top with a slinky black metallic skirt. Or classic stripes. Or a white bridesmaid dress with a black belt or shoulder detail
• Opt for classic wedding invitations. White card with black calligraphy. What could be easier? 
• On your tables, go for white chairs with black cushions. Or if you're having a DIY wedding, you could have a black table runner with white flower arrangements
• White anenomes are the perfect flower for this wedding theme. Why? Because they naturally come with black centers. Easy! 
• Tie a white wedding bouquet with a striped black ribbon
• Use black charger plates underneath white plates on your table settings
• Metallic accents - like silver or gold - also go well with this wedding theme
• Don't forget your wedding tables. A white wedding cake will never go out of style - but have it decorated with a black or black and white striped ribbon. Have a cascade of black flowers falling down the tiers. On the table itself, make a nod to the metallic trend going on and get your caterer to cover it with a black sequinned tablecloth. 

Florals and polka dots are other ways of embracing this theme if you don't want to go for block black colors. From left: Alfred Sung Style D755FP, Alfred Sung Style D699CP

Add a bit of glamor. Sequins and metallics are having a real moment right now and this dress by Dessy on the left hits all the right notes. From left: After Six Bridesmaids Style 6784,  Studio Design Collection 4512 Full Length Halter Top Bridesmaid Dress

Think about separates. From left: After Six Bridesmaid style S1509, Alfred Sung Style D699, 

Main image credits clockwise from top left: Rachelle's Beautiful Bespoke CakesRachelle's Beautiful Bespoke Cakes, Dessy Alfred Sung Style D707P, Rachelle's Beautiful Bespoke Cakes, Wedding Chicks, Pinterest,  Wedding Chicks, Pinterest. 

Just sometimes, you're in need of a little more coverage shall we say? 

• Maybe it's more appropriate at your wedding ceremony that shoulders and maybe arms are covered.
• Maybe the weather's a little on the chilly side and you want your bridesmaids to be a little warmer.
• Maybe some of your bridesmaids aren't too happy about showing off their upper arms.

Whatever the reason, you might be looking for bridesmaids' dresses that have sleeves.

 Which are just what Dessy has designed for you. 

Take a look through our selection and you'll find beautiful frocks with long lace sleeves that work seamlessly with a beautiful bodice. 

• Or a long flowing sleeve that's slashed in the middle. 
• Maybe you fancy floaty chiffon sleeves, which flatter the upper arm. 
• Or maybe you're looking for a simple cap sleeve.
• Or a draped sleeve that works with a high neckline. 

Well, Dessy has it all covered. And in some beautiful fabrics too - from filmy chiffons and elegant laces, through to soft jersey.

Maybe not all your bridesmaids want to wear a sleeve. In that case, creating a look that works throughout is no problem, as many of our gowns complement one another perfectly, as you can see from the designs above. And with many of our dresses available in the same shade, color matching isn't going to be an issue. We also have some beautiful wraps which work well as a cover up. 

Which color for you?

As for the different hues on offer - you can browse through gentle pastels, romantic pinks and baby blues. Or look to enhance your neutral palette. 

On the other hand, if you're looking for some dazzling colors which offer vibrancy, then you'll find our sleeved bridesmaid gowns in hot pinks, flame reds and rich purples. 

So many pretty colors

That's because we know that every bride has a different vision of her own wedding day - and so we offer a real rainbow of colors to help you make your visual dream match up. 

Discover all these styles shown and all the bridesmaids dresses with sleeves from Dessy here. 

I keep a strong eye out for wedding trends and one that's going to be big is the color lavender. 

Lavender looks set to take over from millennial pink in 2018 and beyond. Why this shade? 

• It's a soft pastel that also has depth
• It's also a flavor - think lavender flavored macarons, cakes, desserts ...you can even get lavender flavored teas
• It's a fragrance
• It's a flower (almost a herb actually) that looks wonderful interspersed into wedding bouquets (and smells romantic too). 
• It's such a versatile shade - you can use it as a base color and then introduce deeper mauves, purples and lilacs as visual focal points (see the paper lanterns in the image above). 
• Lavender is very romantic ... without being sickly sweet
• It's a classic
• Decorate your wedding with lavender wreaths and pots of lavender and let the scent waft through to give your venue a soft, summer fragrance
• You can use lavender to create an essential oil which can be used for massage to soothe headaches and promote sleep and relaxation. Maybe an idea for a wedding favor?  

When it comes to looking out for lavender bridesmaid dresses, then you'll love the choice available at Dessy (in different fabrics from lace to a filmy chiffon). The shade you probably want to opt for is 'Passion' although you could mix it up with the 'Lavender Garden' print dresses. 

Here's a selection to get you thinking - sleeveless, sleeved, flowergirl or a grown-up number for a teen bridesmaid.  

From left to right: After Six Bridesmaid Style 6794 Lavender Garden, After Six Bridesmaids Style 6781 Passion

From left to right: After Six Bridesmaid Style 6794 Passion, After Six Bridesmaids Style 6781 Lavender Garden

From left to right: Dessy Collection Junior Bridesmaid Dress JR543, Flower Girl Dress FL4053 Lavender Garden

From left to right: After Six Bridesmaid Style 6777 in Passion and Lavender Garden

Main image credits clockwise from top left: Boho Weddings, Premiere Party Rents, Pinterest, Flowergirl dress by Dessy, Clipzine, Junior bridesmaid dress by Dessy, Rosalind Miller Cakes, Floral bridesmaid dress by Dessy.