8 Tips To Be The Best Bridesmaid Ever!
The wedding day is looming and nerves are really starting to kick in. There’s sure to be a few sleepless nights, wondering if this magical day will go without a hitch. And that’s only from the bridesmaid’s point of view! Imagine how anxious the happy couple are.
Which means the bridesmaids must be properly “on their game” to play their part in making this wedding as stress-free and memorable as possible.
What sort of things can you do, to make sure that your stint as a bridesmaid is a success and you live up to expectations?
Keep devils at bay…wait, what?
The good news is that unlike in ancient times, you don’t have to dress identically to the bride, to act as a decoy for vengeful demon gods. Phew!
Even as recently as the Victorian era, bridesmaids carried herbs, grains and garlic to scare off evil spirits. Fortunately, in modern weddings, this has been replaced by a bouquet of sweet smelling flowers.
And hopefully, the only protection duties required will be smiling sweetly as you keep embarrassing or drunk relatives away from the bride on the day.
If you want to know more about wedding traditions and history, check out this article from Brides magazine.
Get ready to SHOP!
A lot of your bridesmaid duties are pre-wedding before the big day. It’s going to be your responsibility to “bill and coo” with every dress they try on and make the whole experience as memorable as possible.
And of course, you will be required to help pick out the saucy lingerie for the honeymoon. If shopping isn’t your thing, suck it up and smile. At least it’s not your money being thrown around like confetti!
That awesome hen night
Bridesmaids also come into their own when it’s time to make sure the bride has one last night of wild abandon (in theory).
The modern day trend is to make the hen night into a weekend of fun and frolics, or even a whole week of festivities at a European beach resort.
According to Hello magazine, Bulgaria is becoming a popular choice for budget “hen weeks”.
A holiday with your friends is as good an excuse as any to get totally silly!
The last few hours
One of the most enjoyable roles of being a bridesmaid is to get ready for the ceremony and reception in a gaggle of giggles with the rest of the female wedding party.
Helping the bride to look drop-dead gorgeous over a glass of something fizzy is wonderful. But so is getting your own hair and makeup done, with a fab pamper session to start the day. Sit back in that chair, smile, and let someone else worry about making you look stunning – even if you hate the dress.
Something borrowed, something blue
No, this is not another reference to the hen night, when you misappropriated glasses from the bar and watched a strippergram.
There are certain good luck charms that most brides love to stick to, including having something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue.
Did you know that the end of that rhyme includes “a silver sixpence in your shoe”?
The main thing you need to know is that to bring a massive smile to the bride’s face, you may need to be her inspiration in ticking off the list of traditions and superstitions.
Keep calm!
Remember that, on the day, this is not purely a decorative role. You are not just there to wear a lovely frock that matches the colour theme so the wedding photos look spectacular. Well, in most cases anyway.
One of the biggest roles of a bridesmaid is to keep the bride happy, both on the day and beforehand.
No matter how long in advance the bride plans the wedding, there are going to be days where you feel like an emotional whirlwind.
The bride will need lots of reassurance and support from her besties. No, the dress doesn’t make her bum look big. Yes, the groom will show up.
If you get stressed or upset at any point, you are going to put her over the edge, so try to smile and think clearly, whatever happens!
Add to the fun
Let’s be honest here: no one wants to see a bored or uncomfortable person shuffling around with the bride.
No matter how you feel on the day, this is the time to shine! Chat to guests, help anyone who looks lost or alone, and smile – even when your shoes are killing you!
After it’s all over
Once the big day has come and gone, your last remaining duty will be to make time to go through the photo album and wedding video with the new bride – probably multiple times.
Now, this could well be the hardest of all bridesmaids’ tasks, particularly if there is photographic evidence of your inebriated state at the reception that you find less than amusing.
But you’ve guessed it. Now’s not the time to rain on her parade. Smile and hope she gets pregnant soon to have something new to talk about during gatherings!
