“Will you be my bridesmaid?”
Many have heard this question and responded with joyous agreement. To be a part of a bridal party is a great honor, but it also incurs a great amount of expenses, time, and effort. Being a bridesmaid can be stressful, but also largely rewarding. From Bridesmaid robes to the bachelorette party, being a bridesmaid is nonstop fun, but one needs to be organized in order to ensure an unforgettable time for yourself and the bride. Here at Pretty Robes, we’ve compiled our top 10 tips to be the best bridesmaid for your bestie.
- Being Tactful is Key – Although you’re excited to be a part of your friend’s wedding remember that it is theirs. While you’re entitled to your own opinions, remember that you may not get everything you want when it comes to bridesmaid dresses, bridesmaid robes, or bachelorette outfits. Though everyone wants a dress that would be flattering to them, with people who are often a variety of shapes and sizes a certain dress may not be the best on you or others, but remember that you’re not the one getting married. It’s okay to voice your opinion, but make sure you do so kindly and remember that the bride always gets the final say in these matters.
- Be there for Dress Fittings – The dress is arguably one of the key aspects of a wedding and you want to be there for your friend whenever she’s choosing and trying on her dress. Dress shopping can also become quite stressful at times – especially if the wedding day is drawing near but no dress seems to be “the one”. In that case, take initiative and look for dresses in the bride’s price range and style, find dress shops and book appointments for her to try on dresses, and support her whenever she’s trying dresses on. Just like the previous tip mentioned, it’s important to be tactful in these situations and although it could be helpful to the bride to voice your opinions, make sure you do so in a kind way. If the bride is expressing that she likes a certain dress while you don’t understand why, don’t shoot her down immediately. Perhaps you can try gently voicing some concerns about why you feel the dress is not very flattering but if she insists on it, don’t push your own agenda.
- Reach Out and Help with Specific Tasks – There are so many things running through a bride’s mind while planning her wedding and while it’s easy to tell her “I’m free if you need any help! Just let me know what I can do”, a lot of the time this doesn’t help in the way you may think. Leaving task distribution up to the bride will often cause more stress. Instead of asking for the bride to reach out to you, ask her what is on her to-do list and pick one of those items to fulfill for her. Obviously you can’t do everything for her, but helping with decorations, ordering bridesmaid robes, or even reserving a lunch date for her to just relax for a few moments is sure to take a lot off of her plate.
- Have a Bridal Emergency Kit – With such a large event, accidents are bound to take place, so be prepared to help out the bride in case such situations arise. A fool-proof bridal emergency kit should always include a mini sewing kit for wardrobe malfunctions, makeup for touch-ups after particularly touching toasts, safety pins, bobby pins, band-aids, floss, deodorant, fashion tape, pads or tampons, tweezers, pain relievers, stain-remover, hair ties, chapstick, and extra earrings or earring backings. Although not all of these items may have a use for the big day, it’s better to be prepared with everything, than have nothing at all.
- Stay Close for Pictures – After the ceremony, everyone finally breathes a sigh of relief – the hard part is over, it’s time to party! Well, not just yet. A lot of the time, pictures of the bridal party are taken after all of the guests have gone to the reception. Though you may want to, now is not the time to be sneaking off for a pre-dinner snack. Pictures of the entire wedding party are important and the bride and groom shouldn’t have to go on a hunt to find you. You might not be in every picture, but making sure you stay close to the wedding party while pictures are being taken ensures that you won’t be a nuisance to the photographer or other members of the wedding party.
- Remind the Bride to Eat – The wedding day goes by in a flash and food may be the last thing on your bride’s mind whenever there is so much going on. Make sure you take time to remind the bride to eat or organize a time for her to eat in peace with her new husband. If there is something that is distracting her from eating, step up and tell her that you’ll take care of it for her so that she can sit for a minute and relax from the festivities.
- General Organization – Some people are more organized than others, but being organized during a wedding is something that will make the bride and groom’s life easier. Staying on track when it comes to the wedding’s timeline will make for an enjoyable event for both the wedding party as well as the guests attending. Although the maid of honor and wedding planner take on majority of that responsibility, you can still help by guiding guests in the right direction when it’s time to start the send off, encourage people to get drinks during cocktail hour, or show people where wedding favors or the guest book are located when the party begins to end. If all of that has already been covered, why not help stay organized among the bridesmaids – making sure hair is fastened right, makeup is looking nice, and that no one has hair ties on their wrists during the ceremony. Simple things such as that will not only keep the bridal party organized for the big day, but it will also help to take some stress off the bride and groom.
- Communicate – Don’t leave people in the dark. The bride obviously chose you because she values your opinion and feels that you are close friends. She trusts you to tell her things she needs to know in order to plan a proper wedding. Whenever the bride texts you about your dress size or about the shoes you plan to wear or when you’d be available for the bachelorette, even if you don’t know the answers immediately, be proactive in letter her know when you do – don’t leave these things until the last minute. That being said, don’t nag the bride or let her know every detail of what is happening at a given time – keep her in the loop without overwhelming her.
- Don’t Outshine the Bride – As a guest, we wouldn’t want to be the person that shows up in a white dress and likewise as a bridesmaid we would never want to outshine the bride. While doing makeup, make sure to double check with the bride to know what kind of overall look she’s going for – don’t go full glam if the bride wants the no-makeup makeup look. The same principle applies to jewelry and shoes. Often a bride will allow her bridesmaids creative freedom while choosing their accessories and/or shoes. Even though the bride may have allowed you to “go crazy” and pick what things you like, make sure they will not be the center of attention during the ceremony. Pick shoes that you like but utilize soft, neutral tones that will match the wedding theme. Accessories should likewise elevate your look but not take away from it – use small, dainty pieces, and don’t over do it! Bigger is not always better and the focus should always be on the bride and groom, not the bridesmaid with the disco ball earrings and bright red shoes.
- Participate in the Fun – The bride and groom have planned this party to have fun so support them by joining them on the dancefloor and encouraging others to do the same. Make sure to grab the attention of the guests while playing games such as the Newlywed Game or Wedding Bingo or whenever moments like the cake cutting or toasts are occurring. Help out the bride and groom by having fun at a most joyous occasion.
Weddings are and should be fun for everyone involved, but it also means a lot of responsibility for those included in the wedding party. Everyone wants to let loose and enjoy a party, but remember that the bride and groom should always be the focus of the wedding and nothing that you wear or do should take away from that. Make sure that while you are enjoying the wedding, you’re also ready to help the bride. Support the bride by making sure you have emergency supplies for the wedding day, help wherever you can to take things off of her plate, and remain tactful and supportive of your friend during their special day.
