Always the Bridesmaid and
Never the Bride
By Nico Cervantes, NICO Designs
Photography by Jose Villa Photography and Zoom Photography  

EVERYONE always fears the “bridesmaid” dress.  Peach taffeta and iridescent satin with puffy sleeves and neck-to-cleavage lace. UHG! And let’s not forget the sprigs of baby’s breath tucked in the crevices of your French “Twist” bun. Mercifully, trends have brought us far away from the puffy sleeves and V-neck “No-No’s.”  Thanks to trend setters Vera Wang, Saeyoung Vu, Threads and other designers, bridesmaid dresses can be worn after the big day. No longer do women cringe and fear being asked to participate in the bridal party. The agony of having to throw money into an article of clothing that will just sit in a closet for ten years, end up in a thrift store and then become some teenager’s Halloween costume is over.
We are now living in a world where people are willing to take risks. Every day, I hear brides say that they want their wedding to be something different, unusual. Brides are breaking away from the “white rose wedding” and want to incorporate deep reds, vibrant orange, hot pink, black, and chocolate. Young women come to me with ideas of mossy branches, pods, stones, feathers, reeds, sticks and bark added to their centerpieces. Buttons, broaches, and bracelets added to their handheld bridal bouquets; bird cages, sea coral, curly willow chandeliers hung from the ceiling for their reception décor. You would have NEVER seen this 20 years ago. So, who gets left out? … The Bridesmaid!

    Young couples everywhere are going out on a limb on every aspect of the wedding EXCEPT for the bridesmaids. If you’re a bridesmaid, all you get to do is carry a boring posy of one or two flowers. After the ceremony, you don’t know what to do with the stupid thing, so it sits on a banquet table somewhere and rots.
    I think the idea of a bridesmaid holding a bouquet is passé.  Let me introduce something way more chic.
Recently, looking through a wedding magazine, a picture caught my eye—it was the entire wedding party, casually posing. My eye went straight to the flowers (as it always does) and I noticed that the bridal bouquet was EXACTILY the same size as the bridesmaid bouquets.
    WHY???
    This very image inspired me.
    Then a friend hired me to design her wedding florals. Since she knew and trusted me, she let me design whatever I wanted—within her color scheme. I had the idea to make little evening purses out of flowers and foliage. The purses were big enough to be functional and hold eyeglasses, lipstick, money, etc. They were covered in green Galax leaves, succulents, and accented with mini lime green orchids, all items that matched the theme of the event. They could have been made with anything really.  For something more elegant, they could be covered in layered rose petals with added rhinestone tassels. For a beachy-casual wedding, they could be covered in peeling birch bark, bay leaves, and embellished with twisted and curled assorted grass. 
    It was just a test, but the purses ended up being a huge hit and the girls in the wedding party thanked me.  
    Try it.  Not only will it add a cool and different feeling to your event design, but your bridesmaids will be styled with a cute floral accessory, which is functional and ends up becoming a great keepsake after the wedding. Last but not least, the bride will remain the one-and-only diva of the wedding day, holding her BIG beautiful stunning bouquet with her most favorite flowers.
Take risks! Be fabulous!