Being asked to be a bridesmaid is a big deal, your friend is giving you the honour to play a big part in her wedding day, and with great privilege, comes great responsibility. Being her bridesmaid means that she should be able to rely on you to help her out when she needs it, and calm her down when she’s stressed to the max. Here are some top tips that we think will make you a super bridesmaid!
1. Be Interested
Encourage your friend to talk about her wedding, ask questions, and be interested. Planning a wedding can be very emotional, and being able to vent her excitements and frustrations with her bestie, will be sure to keep her smiling.
2. Talk About Other Things Too
Just as much as she loves to talk about her wedding, it’s also important to take her away from it a little. Ask her about work, family, a new dress, and chat about what’s going on with you too. There will be times when she will feel like her whole life is revolving around her wedding, and will need some normality to bring her back.
3. Be A Good Shopping Partner
It’s all about balance – be constructive, without putting her down. Try to work out what she likes and dislikes before heading off on a shopping trip, and give her some alternatives if what she’s picked isn’t quite working. But in the end, if she loves it, be excited for her!
4. Give In A Little
It’s a regular occurrence that as a bridesmaid, you will end up wearing a dress that just isn’t you, and that’s okay! While I’m sure that she will ask your advice, if her mind is made up, just go with it and smile. It’s only one day after all!
5. Spoil Her
Make the bride feel special in the lead up to her wedding, especially around her engagement and in the final weeks of planning. Send her excited texts in the lead up to her day, or take her out for a stress free day of shopping. She’ll love you for it!
6. Throw Her Hens Party, Not Yours
Throw her a hens party that she’ll love. Put aside the traditions and what you would love, and make something really special! Maybe she wants a spa day with the girls or a night out dancing with cocktails. Whatever it may be, make it hers.
7. Make Yourself Useful
The most helpful thing you can do for your friend is to get jobs ticked off her list. Don’t just tell your bride to let you know if she needs anything, offer your services for specific tasks or take something off her hands entirely. Usually it’s the simple, time consuming tasks that she’ll be glad to pass on, like putting post stamps on the invites.
8. Go Team
This kind of goes without saying, but try to get on with the other bridesmaids. You might not know them very well, you might not be very close, and you might even find yourselves competing over “best bridesmaid” bragging rights. But the last thing your friend needs on the morning of her wedding is to break up squabbling. Work together, for the sanity of the bride!
9. The Little Extras
It’s the little touches that takes a great bridesmaid to the next level, and those touches don’t have to cost a thing. Your attention to detail will put your friend at ease, knowing you’ve got it covered, and are there for her every step of the way.
10. Right to the end
You might normally be the first one to sneak home to bed on a night out, but when you’re a bridesmaid, you’re on the clock as long as your bride is still in party mode. Of course you should relax and enjoy the party, but just remember, your friend might need a hand unhitching those 47 buttons down the back of her dress at the end of the night.