By Jennifer

Hope everyone had a great Easter! Easter always reminds me of bunnies and spring and... green grass! Today's inspiration is a selection of short and sweet, green bridesmaid dresses. Okay, the last one is not so short but I love the color!

By Jennifer

Since we started Shiny Orb, we've noticed that the majority of internet-savvy brides are clever, budget shoppers. They're out looking for a deal on affordable bridesmaid dresses that look great. For today's inspiration board, I took a page from one bride's choice of inexpensive tea length bridesmaid dresses. I love the yellow dress Kristin Davis is wearing. That would make a fabulous bridesmaid dress. All of the dresses here just happen to be 50% off right now and are way under $100 each! What color do you think this savvy bride will pick?

By Jennifer

I took a peek into Stephanie's dressing room the other day and was inspired to create a bridesmaid gown inspiration board of long, flowing dresses. I loved how the four dresses she picked ranged from casual to really elegant with the dramatic folds of pastel-colored chiffon. I delved into the Shiny Orb collection of inexpensive bridesmaid dresses and chose some of my favorite flowing, strapless, floor-length gowns. What do you think of the look?

By Jennifer

It's fun to take a peek at what other brides today are considering for their own weddings. Today I'm featuring a dressing room that loves the cinched waist. Many of the dresses feature different colored sashes to emphasize the waist while others use asymmetric ruching or a fancy rosette. Are you a fan of the single color bridesmaid dress or the color accented look?

By Jennifer

Have you noticed that you can take a peek into other people's dressing rooms? If you're looking for inspiration, take a look at our featured dressing rooms.

I came across this room of a budget conscientious bride who surprised me with all the different dresses she picked it. I was so excited to see a variety of fancy bodices on these affordable bridesmaid dresses. I wonder what she and her friend Heather will eventually choose?

By Liz

June is still six months away but if you're a bride planning for a summer wedding, that's right around the corner! June also makes me think of fresh peaches and nectarines--they're definitely my favorite summer fruit. Nothing else comes close to its juicy sweetness and bright, happy color. It's the color of sunshine! The dresses in this collection are inspired by a peaches 'n cream color palette. Whether you choose the peach or the cream color for your bridesmaid dresses, think about adding a pungent green accent to the floral decorations for contrast.

Find more Peaches and Cream dresses and create your own Shiny Orb dressing room!

Image Credits: Cottage Magpie, mythlady, La Grande Farmers' Market

By Liz

We're officially out of the recession (at least economists have declared it so,) and even the holiday retail season has picked up with spending on luxury goods reaching pre-recession levels. With Americans feeling a little flush again, I'm in the mood for a bit of the gilt and glamour of the Jazz Age. Though for a brief moment, the flash of the 1920s and Art Deco movement left an indelible mark on style and design.

Paul Poiret, a designer who made his name during this time, was a leading champion of the new shape: gone was the corseted hourglass figure, to be replaced by the slinky, draped gowns that made women look like "la garçonne". Without the internal construction of corset bones and stiff internal garments, designers relied on intricate beading or woven metals to give a dress structure as well as sparkle. Chinoiserie patterns also made an appearance, in line with the Orientalism influence on Art Deco.

The dresses in this collection take their cues from the past but look as modern as ever.

Find more art deco style dresses and create your own Shiny Orb dressing room.

By Liz

Oysters occupy a funny place in the culture of food and fashion--as ugly as they are on the outside (and kind of on the inside too), they are a hallmark of luxury. This little mollusk has also inspired designers of the years to create gowns that copied an oyster's delicately peachy color and elaborately scalloped and frilled shell. The most famous of the oyster dresses is probably Alexander McQueen's 2003 Oyster Dress, which is now part of the collections at The Met's Costume Institute.

The bridesmaids dresses I've picked out in this room have rich textures and colors that would bring a subtle, beachy luxe to your wedding party. They could work equally well as a reception dress. And with so many details in the gown, all you have to do is add pearls!

Find more pearl inspired dresses and create your own Shiny Orb dressing room!

Image Credits: Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rojer, Brian Jeffery Beggerly

By Liz

Maybe because it's the holiday season, but I've got bows and candycane stripes on my mind. But red and white isn't just for peppermint candies -- it's the classic colors of the day of sweethearts: Valentine's Day. It's the holiday to tell your one that he's the one, and the cutest invention since Minnie Mouse! Red and white are also powerful and refined by tradition -- they are the colors of royalty, the Queen of Hearts, and the Brothers Grimm story of Rose Red and Snow White. The dresses in this room are inspired by the romance of fairy tales, history, and Victorian tradition.

Find more sweet dresses and create your own Shiny Orb dressing room.

Image credits: Howie Luvzus, Wedding Flowers, Belvedere Flowers

By Liz

Purple and chartreuse are such a fresh and happy color combination and are totally representative of Spring. Choose either color as for the bridesmaids dress; you can find different shades of the acid-yellow-green that is chartreuse in order to accomodate your 'maids. I find that these colors work especially well when one is the dominant color and the other is used as just a tiny spark of an accent. They also look beautiful together in floral arrangements and in food a la dainty macarons--yum!

Find more violet and chartreuse bridesmaid dresses and create your own Shiny Orb dressing room!

Image credits: Gergely Csatari, Charlotte Marillet, Brooklyn Bride / Blossom and Branch