Last year I was a bridesmaid for a friend of mine. When she first asked me to be a bridesmaid I was very excited and honored. I didn’t know the work that would be involved, though. Before you find yourself signed up as a bridesmaid, you might want to consider the following duties.
First, figure that you are likely to hate the dress but you will have to pay for it and wear it anyhow. I’ve seen bridesmaid dresses that were so horrible that the bridesmaid considered burning it, but ended up just donating it to charity instead. You’ll pay a good price for the unattractive dress and yet more for the matching shoes and any alteration that will be required to make it fit right.
You aren’t done with expense and trouble after the dress either. You’ll end up having to host a bridal shower. This is a party that you need to plan for the bride. You are going to need to figure out where it will be, send out the invites, make or purchase food, and be there to make sure it all comes off smoothly.
That’s not the only party you need to organize and host. There’s also the bachelorette party. You want to plan something fun and a bit wild. For your more high-maintenance bride, you may even end up planning something out of town or on an exotic island if that is what she wants. Again, not cheap. You have to attend it too because you are helping to throw it.
After the parties are over you have the prep day, also known as the day before the wedding, and the wedding itself. On prep day you and the bride and the rest of the wedding party will be having whatever beauty procedures you are required to have, such as manicures.
On the wedding day you will be overscheduled and overtasked within an inch of your life. The wedding I was in tracked where I was supposed to be, from -9 a.m. until midnight, using a color-coded chart.
The day of the wedding is all about making sure the bride is ready and prepared at all times. First you have to help with hair and makeup. Next, you have to help with her dress. Then pictures, and so on. There are a lot of things to do to make sure the bride’s big day is perfect.
Being a bridesmaid is tough, and can get expensive. While it is flattering to be asked, you need to check the practical requirements of the job before you accept. It can be very rewarding, but you want to gauge your level of friendship and ask yourself if it is worth it to you for the amount of work that you are going to have to contribute.
See additional tips created by this same author covering things such as buffet dishes and cheap chafing dishes.
