dressing the maids

I've pretty much decided that I'm a backwards sort of person. I haven't finalized the venue, picked out my dress or decided on a color scheme but I'm already looking at bridesmaids dresses. Maybe some of you can sympathize - how am I supposed to choose everything else without getting an idea for what the full picture will look like? I'm not planning on buying the dresses today (my wedding is over a year away) but I absolutely want to get a feel for what will and won't look good. I also want to decide on the basics - will dresses be long or short, formal or informal, matching or mismatched?

Matching vs. mismatched is giving me the most trouble. I love the idea of mismatched bridesmaids dresses (same color and material but different styles) but I'm worried that they're more trouble than they're worth. I want everything to look cohesive. In comes the inspiration.

First, a couple of mismatched bridesmaids looks to inspire you:

I love the style of the two below but, are they inappropriate for the maids?

via  La Femme, Amsale

And a few more dresses I'm considering:

via  Sophia Tolli, Liz Fields, Enzoani, BCBG

Would love to hear your thoughts on any of the above or of your own plans!