Why Bridesmaids Wear The Same Dresses

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Watch any movie which features a bride about to get married and you’ll also find a few girls who hang on to every word that she says and who wont leave her side till the ceremony is officially over. So, who are they?

Enter the bridesmaids- the ones who hep the bride put together her wedding ensemble and who are by her side to offer expert advice on everything from makeup to the perfect honeymoon spot. If bridal fashion has been garnering plenty of attention over the years, well the bridesmaids aren’t too far behind either! Just as all eyes are likely to be on the coy bride, her bevy of besties are just as likely to grab their share of the spotlight too. Not surprising then that there are plenty of ideas on how to dress up bridesmaids for your special day.

bridesmaids

While Indian bridesmaids can usually be spotted wearing embroidered Indian wear like ghagra cholis, sarees and the like; in Christian weddings on the other hand, bridesmaids are usually seen wearing attire in similar or in the same patterns.

So, why do bridesmaids dress alike?

We have the Romans to thank for this and the practice of making bridesmaids look alike is believed to have started with them. Let’s just say that the Romans were a very superstitious lot who believed that in addition to angry jealous ex boyfriends or lovers who were likely to turn up to ruin a wedding; they also needed a good sound plan to fight off jealous evil spirits who were capable of possessing the bride just as she was saying her vows. So, one of the cleverest ways of doing this was simply by confusing the evil spirits just in case they had plans to spoil the party!

Confusing the spirits successfully involved more than just prayers- in fact this need practically invented a whole new role for bridesmaids themselves. These bridesmaids were made to dress exactly like the bride, right down to her makeup and hairstyle so that the spirits would be confused as to who was actually getting married! A wedding that went on without paranormal interruptions guaranteed the wedded couple a long and happy life.

Thankfully, bridesmaids are no longer expected to actually protect the bride from the evil eye anymore but their role in seeing off the bride as she says her vows has stayed on for centuries.

Both images courtesy Memory Crafters 

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