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Congratulations! You’re getting married. It’s going to be one of the biggest days of your life and there are a thousand things that need to be organised.
You’d think choosing your bridesmaids would be one of the easiest and quickest decisions to make, right? Not necessarily. Before you get caught up in the moment and pop the question of “will you be my bridesmaid?” consider this...
Will you still be friends in 10 years? “Of course we will be, our friendship is rock solid!” BUT you’d be amazed how many friends lose track over the years and go their separate ways. It would be a shame to look back on your wedding pics with any regrets.
Are they supportive? Not all, but a lot of brides-to-be can get pretty stressed out and need bridesmaids who can calm them down and help out when needed. You want someone who’ll be there for you through it all.
Are your bridesmaids organised? This depends on your expectations – do you want someone who can organise or are you more of a control freak who prefers to do it all yourself. If you want to delegate some of the planning, think reliability.
Will they make it ‘all about them’? Ohhhh yes, the ‘prima donna bridesmaid’ - they do exist. This is the bridesmaid who believes it’s ‘her day’ and is only interested in making sure she’s looking her best, her hair and outfit is perfect, and that she is standing in the best light whilst posing for camera shots. Sorry? Bride, what bride? Are they likely to get trashed on the night? Hey everyone likes to party but ideally you don’t want a bridesmaid who drinks so much she decides to make her own toast, then accosts the best man, falls over on the dance floor and finally collapses in the bathroom after too many champagnes. And you end up looking after HER!
Now what? Once you’ve made the call and decided on your bridesmaids don’t forget to actually ask your ‘chosen’ mates. Don’t presume they know you’re keen for them to take part; after all it’s a big deal and a huge compliment for any friend.
Like with any relationship, communication is the key, and being a bridesmaid doesn’t mean being a personal slave for the months leading up to the wedding.
Decide early on about the costs surrounding dresses, shoes, hair and make up. Weddings can be expensive and you need to let your bridesmaids know if you expect them to contribute to outfits (since they get to keep them) or if you’re planning on paying for everything. Money is always an awkward subject so the other option is to go halves.
The night before the wedding why not get the girls to stay at your place for some last minute giggles to ease any nerves over bubbles. Take the opportunity to give a personal gift to each bridesmaid to say thanks – a piece of jewellery, a gift voucher for a massage, a photo of you all together…
Don't forget the main ingredient to any successful wedding is to relax and have fun!
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of the biggest days of your life and there are a thousand things that need to be organised. 
Not all, but a lot of brides-to-be can get pretty stressed out and need bridesmaids who can calm them down and help out when needed. You want someone who’ll be there for you through it all.
and being a bridesmaid doesn’t mean being a personal slave for the months leading up to the wedding.