Pants!

Years ago, back in college, a question stumped me. I sat down in class and asked my girlfriends, "If the bride wears pants to her wedding, well then what do her bridesmaids wear?"
My girlfriends were immediately flabbergasted. "Brides can't wear pants!" one said. Another reasoned, "It's your one day to be a fabulous princess; why waste it on pants?"
Of course neither of them answered my question. However, brides in pants are becoming more common, especially for second-time brides. Some ladies just feel more comfortable in them, and others appreciate standing out among other brides. Another benefit is that the price tends to be lower than for a dress. I imagined a bridal ensemble involving pants and came up with the doodle on the left.

Sadly, most designers don't seem to offer these kind of ensembles. The way to go seems to be looking for white pantsuits. Here is a cute one from Neiman Marcus.

If you want a look that is less suit-like but still involves pants, a great option is to look for mother-of-the-bride ensembles that come in different colors, and order it in white or ivory, such as this one from Alfred Angelo (style 6576 in ivory shown on right).

Unfortunately, no one has ever really answered the original question: what do the bridesmaids wear? My best answer is this: either 1.) being a wedding where the bride is wearing pants, the atmosphere is going to be informal enough that bridesmaids are not really needed, or 2.) whatever the bride wants: it's her day!