11 Tips on How to be the Best Bridesmaid for your Friend
You’re bestie is getting married! She’s asked you to be a bridesmaid and you want to do the very best by her. You’ve been there with her through thick and thin. You might have even been there when she met the love of her life. Now you get the honor of standing next to her on one of the biggest days of her life. So here are some things I’ve learned about how to be the best bridesmaid from years of photographing weddings.
1. Be gracious about the dress. It may not be your color, or the most flattering, but it is only one day. Your bestie’s day, so try to wear it with a smile and not complain even if it wouldn’t have been your choice. Also, make sure to attend any dress fitting and order your dress early. The last thing any bride needs is to worry about whether her tribe has taken care of their dresses or not. She already has enough other things to organize.
2. Listen. Wedding planning can be super stressful and overwhelming. She will probably need someone to vent to more than once. Having an outlet to express all of her feelings before the wedding can make the whole process and even her big day go that much easier.
3. Offer to help with specific things. Don’t just say call me if you need help. Often the bride is too overwhelmed to even know what she could use help with, or she realizes it too late. By offering to help with something specific, it even feels more genuine and it is just easier for her to accept. This also allows you to help with something that is fitting to your particular interests or skills.
4. Be calm on the wedding day. Weddings are often super emotional without bridesmaids adding to the drama or being overly excited. Creating a relaxing, peaceful environment, especially when getting ready, sets the tone for the rest of the wedding day.
5. Stay nearby until photos are done. Bridesmaid or full wedding party photos are usually done either before the wedding ceremony or after the wedding, following family photos. I know cocktail hour is super enticing, but stick around until after all the photos are done. It can be so embarrassing to realize you were the one holding everything up.
6. Help organize the family. Helping to gather the family members for family photos is such a huge help. Especially if you know her family well. This is a really awesome way to assist the photographer and the bride and makes everything go so much smoother.
7. Bathroom duty. This one sounds and feels a bit silly, but it is also super real. Oftentimes, the bride needs help with a zipper or holding up layers and layers of her dress. Having close friends help makes the process a little more painless.
8. Be the first to dance. Don’t leave your girl hanging! She wouldn’t do that to you! She imagined celebrating this day with you for months or longer. Get out there and party with her! This also hold true for the bouquet toss. When the DJ calls for “all the single ladies”, get out there and catch that bouquet.
9. Wear comfortable shoes. Weddings are a really long day. Longer than most people realize and you will be on your feet for most of it. Wear comfortable shoes or bring another pair to switch them out. When the couple or the photographer wants to walk to the other side of the grounds for photos, you don’t want to be the one complaining or holding everything up.
10. It isn’t about you. You might be tired. You might not love your hair, or your makeup. But that’s not what this day is about. Try to make the best of it and be there for your friend. This is her special day to be in the spotlight and shine and you can definitely help her feel like that.
11. Be helpful but not too helpful. The photographer knows what they’re doing so don’t help unless the photographer or the bride ask for it. Fixing the dress, or her hair etc. can often be more obtrusive when you are just trying to be helpful.
You and your best friend have likely been dreaming about this day for years. You want to be there for her and make sure her wedding day is everything she hoped for and more. And she will be so grateful for all of your help on her wedding day. She will likely remember how awesome you were when your big day comes around and the role are reversed. Follow these tips and you will be the very best bridesmaid ever!
