Before Mr. Goodlaff and I were even engaged (in fact, way before there was even a Mr. Goodlaff), I knew that I wouldn't be putting all of my bridesmaids in the same exact dress. Because of my college roommate's love of all things bridal, I had seen a company that made bridesmaid dresses in a rainbow of colors with mix and match tops and bottoms. Even at 18, I recognized the benefits of picking a color and letting everyone choose what they were most comfortable wearing. Unless your girls are all 6 foot Swedish Bikini Models, you're going to have trouble finding a single style that not only flatters everyone, but that everyone also feels comfortable in.
Fast forward about 9 years to a few months ago, when I was frantically searching for the right shade of blue for the bridesmaid dresses. My conversations with Mr. GL went something like this: "This one's too blue blue, but that one's too navy blue. I do like this one, but it's just too cerulean, you know?" He almost had to get out a box of Crayolas to see what I was talking about. I looked at David's Bridal (Horizon was too bright, Marine too dark) and Alfred Angelo, and was beginning to expand my search when Mama Goodlaff, Sister Goodlaff, and I went to the Folsom Bridal show.
Now, sometime in the beginning of my planning, I came across an ad for what I considered to be some of the classiest bridesmaid dresses I'd ever seen. I loved colors and adored the retro, but somehow modern vibe. Still, I immediately wrote them off as probably being too expensive, without doing a single bit of research. Stupid, I know, but we all have our moments...
They still make my heart flutter.
