Ladies, your mid 20’s to mid 30’s are 10 straight years of #WeddingSeason! If you haven’t yet been a bridesmaid, don’t worry, your time is coming, and there’s a lot you need to know.
Being asked to be a bridesmaid is an honor, but it’s also a huge responsibility. Your friend loves you enough to want you to be there every step of the way during her wedding experience. Sure, this means the bachelorette party, the bridal shower, and the big day, but it’s so much more.
Being her bridesmaid means you are her go-to, her confidant, her therapist, her cheerleader and her support. While it’s an enormous compliment to be chosen as one of the special few, it’s not something that should be taken lightly. This position comes with commitments–commitments of your time, your money and your patience. While the journey is filled with fun and happy memories, to be a badass bridesmaid you must be prepared to be a totally selfless rock and advisor.
Weddings are one of the most stressful times in a person’s life. Our culture puts so much pressure on this day, and with social media, we also now feel the weight of thousands of eyes upon us. This is our one shot, the one time we get to have this huge special day.
Your job as a bridesmaid is to help alleviate some of that stress–to take the little things off her plate and replace them with little things that add to her joy.
Remind her to celebrate along the way, take her to get your nails done together, have a wine night and talk about everything besides the wedding planning to give her a mental break, and, of course, throw her a bridal shower and bachelorette party she will never forget!
I know, it gets expensive, and at this point of our lives, most of us are focused on growing in our careers, saving and building our personal wealth. Between hair, makeup, bridesmaid dresses, bachelorette party (food, drinks, travel, AirBnB/hotel), gifts etc., your head may begin to spin! Don’t forget to ~budget~ and ~plan~ beforehand. Also, think outside the box! Go to sites like Groupon to find deals. And consider handmade gifts!
No, I’m not talking about a macaroni necklace made for your mother in kindergarten…if she wore that thing you better know that woman loves you!
I was a bridesmaid recently for a good friend and her sister-in-law made her a gift that was hands down the best thing she received at her bridal shower. She had taken the time and energy to put together a beautiful, laminated booklet to explain exactly how to go about changing her last name. This is something I’d never even taken into consideration. Where do you start? Who do you call? What documents do you need? Where do you need to remember to update your new name? She created a detailed guide with an index of each section, from where to start all the way through remember to change your Starbucks membership card. Thoughtful and creative!
Don’t forget: bridesmaids are a team.
If you don’t know the other bridesmaids well, get together to bond! You already have one thing in common–you all love the bride and she loves you! Start a group chat and stay in touch. When all the bridesmaids are on the same page, working together and getting along, the fun that comes with both the planning and celebrating grows tenfold.
Have any crazy, funny or sweet bridesmaid stories you’d like to share?! Leave them in the comments below!!
Sending you all my love today and always, my little chick-a-dees!
Twentysomething Guru 