My Steel Blue Bridesmaid Dresses And How to Pick Dress Color

Choosing a color for your bridesmaid dresses can be daunting! With so many different color schemes and hues to choose from, it can feel overwhelming for any bride. I eventually chose steel blue for my wedding, but it wasn’t by any means any easy decision.

Disclosure: Please note that some of the links are affiliate links and at no additional cost to you, I may earn a commission. When you use one of my affiliate links, it helps me run this blog and keep all of this content free of charge for readers (like you). Please review my disclaimer policy for further information.

Steel Blue? Another Shade of Blue? Or Another Color?

These are all questions I asked myself at one point or another.

Does it really matter? Probably not!

But the truth is, selecting a bridesmaid dress color can feel like a monumental decision. After all, those dresses will be featured in LOTS of photos come your wedding day. No bride wants to look back in 20 years and think to herself, “That was the color I picked? It’s absolutely horrid! What was I thinking?”.

Maybe, let’s try to avoid that? Just a thought!

In this article, I’m going to share a step-by-step guide to selecting a color for your bridesmaid dresses. Plus, I’ll share a few things I thought about when selecting steel blue. As a bonus, I’ll also share a printable wedding color guide designed to help you pick your wedding colors.

So even if you’re not interested in the steel blue color, I promise that after reading this you’ll have a better idea of your ideal bridesmaid dress color.

The Step-By-Step Guide I Used to Pick Steel Blue

Here’s my step-by-step guide I used to select steel blue. I recommend you follow these same steps when trying to determine your ideal bridesmaid dress color.

Step #1: Selecting A Bridesmaid Dress Store

Before I even began looking at colors, I started by selecting a vendor through which I could purchase bridesmaid dresses. Because my bridesmaids are spread out across the country, I knew I wanted an online retailer. I also knew I wanted bridesmaid dresses that were affordable. And obviously, I wanted loads of color, sizes, and style options.

As any diligent bride-to-be, I compared various bridesmaid dress retailers. Ultimately, my choice easy! There was only one site I found with a plethora of dress colors, sizes, and styles under $100: Azazie.

Plus, with dozens of reviews, Azazie makes it easy to buy bridesmaid dresses with confidence. Believe me! I know because I had to buy a bridesmaid dress myself for my cousin’s wedding.

If you want to explore alternative retailers for yourself, other popular sites for bridesmaid dresses include Birdy Grey, J.J.’s House, and Revelry just to name a few.

Step #2: Ordering Color Swatches

After selecting Azazie as my bridesmaid dress provider, I then ordered a handful of different color swatches. Now, you may be tempted to skip this step. And sure, you definitely could! But I strongly advise against that. Oftentimes colors can look different on a screen than they do in real life.

And the steel blue color I chose is no exception. When I first saw the steel blue color swatch in person, I kid you not, I returned to my computer to have another look. It looked completely different online than it did on my color swatch! Moreover, the color may look different depending on the type of fabric you choose. Ordering the color swatch will help you visualize what the exact color will look like for each specific fabric type.

So, if you decide to go ahead and order color swatches, make sure to order every color you could potentially be interested in, but NOT every single color available on the site. Because who wants to spend all their money on color swatches?! Not me! That’s for sure…

Luckily if you’re indecisive (like me!), Azazie’s color swatches are pretty affordable, which makes it easy to order a bunch! I recommend ordering all of them at once, so you don’t have to pay for shipping on multiple orders.

Heads up! This will be one of the hardest parts of the whole process. Ordering your color swatches is truly the first time you’ll need to narrow down your options.

Step #3: Comparing Alternatives

So now you have the color swatches in hand. Time to narrow it down further! Hopefully, once you see the colors in person, it becomes easier to eliminate even more colors, leaving you with only a select few.

In a perfect world, this process of elimination would leave you with…drumroll please…your ideal bridesmaid dress color(s)! Ta-da!

BUT, that might not be the case…

Tips for Finding Your "Steel Blue"

Still unsure? Don’t fret! Check out my free printable wedding color guide to help you narrow down your choices and make that all important decision:

Better yet, here’s a few more helpful tricks to pick a color for your bridesmaid dresses:

Pick a Color Based on The Season You're Getting Married

My first recommendation is to think about the season during which your wedding will take place.

If you’re getting married in the middle of the summer, maybe burgundy isn’t the right choice. Conversely, a canary yellow color in the dead of winter, might not turn out so hot.

Refer to page 7 of my color guide to get an idea of which colors are best based on seasonality.

Pick a Color That You Naturally Gravitate Towards

My second recommendation is to choose a color that you like, and have always liked.

I have personally have always liked cold colors, like purples, greens, and blues. Maybe you’re the opposite and prefer warm colors, such as reds, oranges, and yellow. Or maybe you like neutral colors, like whites, grays, and blacks.

Why not simply pick a color you like? It can be as simple as that!

Pick a Color That Looks Good On You

Another consideration would be to choose a color that you like to wear and know looks good on you, the bride.

Although you won’t be wearing a bridesmaid dress yourself (unless you want to, of course!), you’re going to be posing with the bridesmaids for photos come your wedding day. So, for example, avoid dress colors that will make you look washed out. As someone with fair skin, this was a primary concern of mine and a reason why I didn’t choose a lighter shade of blue. And honestly, I think steel blue is a color that looks flattering on many different other skin tones, as well.

Pick a Color That Is Universally Flattering

And that leads me into my fourth recommendation: try choosing a color that looks flattering on a most everyone. For example, darker colors tend to appear more slimming. Because of this, I knew I wanted to choose a darker shade of blue. BUT, I didn’t want a shade so dark that my wedding felt like a funeral.

Also, please don’t be the bride that chooses something that makes her entire wedding party feel uncomfortable or insecure. A good rule of thumb is to avoid anything that could be seen as childish or unsophisticated (think neon colors, rhinestones, cheesy accessories, etc.!).

Ask Your Partner's Opinion

Last, but not least, ask for your partner’s opinion about the colors. After all, it’s his/her wedding too! Your partner might be able to give you some fresh new perspective to help you narrow down your options further.

Why I Chose Steel Blue

I might’ve hinted at it above, but here are my exact reasons for choosing steel blue as the color of my bridesmaid dresses for my wedding:

1. It’s perfect for summer.

2. I love the color blue.

3. I typically wear a lot of blue and think it looks good on me because it matches my eyes.

4. Because the steel blue is a darker shade, I think it’ll be more slimming.

5. My fiancé also loves the color and was excited to go with steel blue right from the start. He was also onboard with getting the groomsmen matching steel blue bowties and pocket squares. Hallelujah!

So, after I picked the color, I texted my bridesmaids to tell them that they could pick any style of dress they wanted as long as it was a long dress, made of chiffon material, and the color was Azazie’s steel blue. I can’t tell you how many of my bridesmaids responded with, “I love the color you picked!”. It feels beyond satisfying to know everyone loves the color just as much my fiancé and I do!

Ultimately though, all that truly matters when it comes to choosing your colors is that you and your partner are happy with it.

Did You Find Your "Steel Blue"?

I hope I was able to help you find your ideal bridesmaid dress color(s)! As a reminder, you can shop Azazie for a wide variety of affordable dress options by using the button below:

If you liked this post, may I ask that you please share it with a friend?

And don’t forget to check out my other wedding-related blog posts for more helpful tips and tricks!

Thanks for reading! Until next time, friends.

My Steel Blue Bridesmaid Dresses and How To Pick Your Wedding Colors

Steel Blue? Another Shade of Blue? Or Another Color?

The Step-By-Step Guide I Used to Pick Steel Blue