Bridesmaid Dress Dilemmas

As mentioned previously, I am sort of anal when it comes to things being "just so" and matching. I thought that doing short, black bridesmaid dresses would be easy peasy lemon squeezey. I get matchy-matchy, and they get an easily wearable dress for future parties. Alas, I was wrong. I found nothing I liked at davidsbridal.com, which I thought would be the clear winner. Since all my 'maids are in normal dress sizes, I tried looking at some stores where people normally buy dresses for weddings (as guests) to see if they had 'maid worthy frocks.

Ok, so I might've fell in love with this one from Nordstrom.

It's within my $200 and under price range, and it's different without being too trendy or too "bridesmaidy." My only two concerns are the length (although the pictures are usually of 5'11" girls) and how it would look next to my dress... like, would they go? It's a sweetheart neckline...

Then there's this one from Nordstrom.

I know the sweetheart neckline would go great! And I like the bow detail. Also, the price is great. But I'm not so sure about the fish-tailing skirt, how it flares like that. Has anyone seen this look good on real people?

Going the simple route at Nordstrom...

I'm sure this A-line strapless would flatter, but a strapless next to a sweetheart... does that work? And it might be too simple.

I know my bridesmaids are fans of J.Crew.

This one in black is super cute, but I think it is way too springy. Asking my 'maids to wear a short dress in March can be a little chilly, so I'd like a fabric with more substance.

This one is also from J.Crew.

First of all, could they get a model with a B-cup maybe? Or a C? I can't picture my normal-looking bridesmaids in these! Anywho, I love the dress, but the price is sort of high, and it is kind of plain. And again- strapless next to sweetheart? (PS- both J.Crew's would be in black.)

Then there's this one. I fell in love but I don't think it's meant to be. She's from White House Black Market.

While it fits perfectly with the theme, I think six of these lined up would be like some sort of kaleidoscope-on-acid vision. And then with our B&W printed table runners, they might fight for pattern attention. That and add flowers... a bit much. I just loved the classic shape paired with something to make it "different."

What are your thoughts? Message me your e-mail and I'd be happy to send you a picture of my gown for comparison. Send everyone you know here- I want to know which dress you vote for! This is harder than picking MY dress!

What challenges/compromises did you run into while picking out your bridesmaid dresses? Have you ever been a bridesmaid and have a ridiculous dress story?