Bridesmaid Duties: What To Do for the Bride
There’s no greater privilege than being chosen as a bridesmaid. Of course, you can’t help feeling joy and excitement with your friend getting married. However, a feeling of anxiety may also creep up on you if you don’t know what to do or if you feel too overwhelmed.
For this, it’s best to be well-prepared for the incoming duties. Moreover, knowing such allows you to become the best bridesmaid for your friend. Thus, here is a checklist to thoroughly break down all your to-do’s:
Connect With the Planner
Before the wedding, you’ll get the chance to meet the planner. Here, it’s vital that you understand your role and follow the instructions they’ve set. Since the planner is doing the most by keeping the wedding on schedule and ensuring every task is crossed off, it’s essential for you to cooperate.
If you're from Melbourne, there are several planners that offer a full-package wedding, and all you have to do is choose from the selections. Your role is significant in also checking out if the budget tends to go overboard or if the bride requires it.
The same goes for areas like Sydney and Adelaide, making wedding planning much more convenient than ever. For example, Adelaide is home to one of the best wedding planners in the country. From planning the bachelorette party to managing the catering, they got the entire wedding party’s backs covered. With their help, you only have to find the best wedding car hire adelaide can offer, and they can do the rest.
And lastly, planners help with the financial aspect of the wedding by scoring the best deals and discounts.
Communicate With the Bride Openly
Being a bridesmaid means you’re someone who the bride trusts. It’s a vital role since the bride will need help with decisions about her wedding. Because of this, you need to understand what is expected of you.
From day one, you need to talk with the bride about her expectations of you. Moreover, it’s best to be as communicative as possible without being mean. If you think you’re not capable of handling a task or if you can’t afford a few things for the wedding, you should be honest about your thoughts.
Assist With Hair, Makeup, and Attire
The bride may already know what she wants her bridesmaids to wear, but if she asks for your opinion, it’s never wrong to chime in with your ideas for the bridesmaids’ hair, makeup, and attire.
Moreover, if the bride insists on a theme for her wedding, it’s best to go with it even if it’s an outfit you don’t like. Since this is the day she’s been dreaming of the most, choosing to go beyond the dress code may ruin her special day.
If you’re genuinely uncomfortable with the attire (like if it has a shallow cut or is too tight), it’s best to be honest with the bride. If you already know the outfits you’re uncomfortable with, bringing this up before the bride settles on anything is preferable.
Keep the Group Drama-Free
Weddings are not free from drama. Since bridesmaids come from different backgrounds and different phases of the bride’s life, it’s possible that these personalities would clash with one another.
Statements could be misinterpreted, plans could go astray, or you’d have different opinions on the outfit. Nonetheless, it would help if you didn’t wait for the bride to take up the middle ground since she already has plenty to consider. Adding the drama only adds to her stress.
With this, it’s essential to set the tone for the group and tackle it among yourselves calmly. Remember that your group's purpose is to attend your friend’s wedding and provide support for an exciting time in her life.
Act As A Backup Host
Acting as a backup host doesn’t mean you’d get to personally stand in front and take charge of the whole program. Here, you only need to assist the main host. You could help pass out programs or participate in the reception events. You could also offer to show guests to the restroom or take care of the bride’s items.
If you’re unsure about these tasks, you could always ask your bride for her opinion. You could even ask if she’s already hired a wedding hostess for the event. Whatever it may be, be prepared to assist and keep the enjoyment going.
Help With Return Items
You won't have to worry about returns if the wedding is mainly made of do-it-yourself items. However, if the bride went for rentals, you’d have to help with returning the leftover items. Although the bride and groom’s family will mainly help with such, it’s best to lend a hand.
Be Supportive
As much as weddings are exciting for the bride, they are also stressful. With this, it’s essential to become her emotional support. You don’t always have to be at her beck and call. However, it would be helpful to be there most of the time.
The same goes for the maid of honour. Since she has more duties as the bride's right-hand woman, she will get quite busy with pre-wedding plans. No matter what happens, it’s vital to be a trooper until the wedding day.
Final Thoughts
Weddings offer a whole new set of responsibilities for bridesmaids. Here, you’re expected to become an emotional boulder who is also good at planning and doing tasks. Although the duties may sound trivial, they mean a lot to your friend who appointed you as her bridesmaid. So be sure to reach their expectations of you and, if possible, go beyond what you can do.
