Bridesmaids are very important to the bride as they are there to help her get ready for the best day of her life, console her fears when or if she has them, comfort her, multitask to get everything ready for this most important day of her life, and to party hard at every bridal party she wants to have. Because of these reasons, bridesmaids are an important part of any brides big day.
Here is a cheat sheet of the important duties of a bridesmaid.
- A bridesmaid should offer to help out with any and all pre-wedding tasks. Make sure to be specific when volunteering to help with an event. For an example you could say something like, Would you like me to help you shop for bridesmaids dresses/stuff invitations/pack for the honeymoon? This is better than saying, What can I do?
- Shop for bridesmaids dresses, shoes, jewelry, and other wedding accessories. Also, pay for every expense. Just ensure you wear the most comfortable shoes you have to prevent your feet from blistering, hurting, and to even prevent any falls from happening because you will be running around a lot.
- It is also important to help plan everything, help co-host bridal events, and even help pay for everything along with the other bridesmaids.
- Unless the maid or matron of honor is already doing this, you will need to keep a record of all of the gifts the bride and groom receive so that the happy couple can write thank-you notes to everyone. You will also have to maintain RSVP lists.
- You will definitely have to attend the rehearsal dinner and rehearsal itself. Make sure you know about all of the pre-wedding parties and be there for all of them.
- Run any last-minute errands for the bride. On the day of the wedding, you will need to be there to confirm the delivery of the flowers, satisfy any junk food cravings, and meet and greet the wedding guests.
- Stand in the receiving line when the bride asks you to.
- Be the hostess at the reception by introducing the guests to each other, letting them know where the bar is, and asking them to sign the guest book.
- Dance when the music starts. You also need to dance with groomsmen for the formal first dance. Also, watch out for and encourage those guests who are not dancing to hit the dance floor and even ask them to dance with you if you have to, to get them going.
- Provide the maid/matron of honor a much needed break by offering to carry the wedding gown train whenever you need to. Hem the train before dancing starts and offer to fix it if it comes undone. If the bride asks you to, accompany her to the restroom.
- Buy a wedding gift for the bride and groom with the other bridesmaids. Not only does this provide more buying power for a great wedding gift but more heads can be better than one for ideas for gifts. Sometimes the whole team of bridesmaids will pitch in for the best gift the bride and groom can ever ask for.
- Try not to complain about anything. Try to keep a smile on your face at all times and let her know how happy you are for her. Make sure to never complain about the dress you have to wear, even if it is ugly or the color is bad. Perhaps the most important duty for a bridesmaid is to provide as much emotional support as you can to the bride. This includes during the planning of the wedding and on the big day. After all, this is her big day!
