Tips To Be The Best Bridesmaid For Your Friend's Wedding

In the whirlwind that is planning a wedding, it can be easy to lose sight of your friend as a person, rather than just another guest you need to buy a present for. But the best friends are always there when you need them – even when it’s time to stand up in pale blue and support their marriage to someone you may not know so well. With that in mind, being the best bridesmaid possible comes down to two things: supporting your friend and helping her get married. The following article explains how to help her feel confident with her decision while keeping her stress levels low and ensuring that everyone has a great time on the big day. Read on for our top tips.

1. Make sure your friend is marrying the right person

Weddings are wonderful, joyful affairs, but they also come with a lot of pressure and expectation. For someone who is less sure about the future of their relationship, getting married might be a huge mistake. However, for your friend, it is likely much less about the wedding and much more about the chance to commit to someone and have a family with them. You must make sure she's ready for that. If you have any concerns about her relationship, talk to her about it. Your friendship will survive the conversation, and you might just save her a lot of heartaches.

2. Be present, and be a sounding board

Even though your job as a bridesmaid is all about supporting your friend, it's still important that you remain engaged during the wedding. If you spend all your time doing favors and helping with the guest list, you'll miss out on the chance to really enjoy the day and feel a part of it. Look out for ways you can be present and engaged in the proceedings. Perhaps offer to help with decorations, prepare the venue on the day, or act as photographer for the day. Offer to help your friend with her makeup or hair if she wants you to. Be there, and help take the pressure off your friend by keeping her company while she deals with other details.

3. Help with planning and logistics

Your friend might be stressed by any number of issues: the guest list, the decorations, the music, the catering, searching for a dress, or even the cake. There are a few methods to help her out here. The most obvious one is to offer to help with the wedding planning itself. If you have a particular specialty that your friend might need help with, feel free to offer that too. If you don't feel confident enough to help her with anything, you can always help with logistics. How many people are you inviting? Where do you want the wedding ceremony? Where is the reception going to be held? These are all details that your friend may be struggling to keep track of, and by helping her keep on top of things, you'll be taking some serious stress off her shoulders.

4. Help with the guest list

Most brides find themselves in the unenviable position of having to turn people away from their wedding as guest numbers start to creep up. While you should always want as many people as possible to celebrate with you, it is also important that your friend feels in control. The best way to do this is to help her keep on top of the numbers. You can help by keeping track of those numbers and letting your friend know when it's time to start turning people away. You can also help by keeping track of the names of each guest so that your friend can write thank you cards afterward. If you're unsure how to keep track of names, you can use an online guest book site to keep track of everyone. It'll be one less thing for your friend to worry about.

5. Help her feel beautiful on the day

The wedding day can be a huge source of stress for anyone, but for your friend, it might be especially difficult. Don't underestimate the value of being there for her when she feels uncertain about her body or looks. If she wants you to help her with her hair or makeup, be there for her. It need not be a permanent arrangement – just be there while she feels uncertain or stressed out and help her feel beautiful. If she is feeling particularly low self-esteem, let her know that you are there for her. Let her know that you understand. Reach out and hold her hand if she is crying. Don't shy away from letting her know that you understand what she is feeling and that you're there for her.

6. Don't let her feel pressured to include people she doesn’t want to invite

Although you don't want to pressure your friend into dropping her friends and family members from the guest list, you want to ensure she feels confident in her decisions. If she feels like she needs to invite someone she doesn't really want to invite, let her know that it's okay to leave that person off the guest list. You don't want her to feel pressured to include someone just to please another guest. That's not fair to her or her husband-to-be. Make it clear that you support her decisions, no matter what they may be.

7. Have A Good Sense of Humor

Being the best bridesmaid is all about being there for your friend no matter what. It might be helpful to have a good sense of humor on the day to help you deal with the pressures and stress that might arise. Perhaps you can help diffuse tense situations with a joke or lighthearted comment. Offer to help set up, break down, and get some laughs with your friend. Laughter is a great way to blow off some steam and help everyone relax a bit.

8. Help plan the bachelor(ette) party

If your friend is getting married, she's probably engaged to a guy. And if that guy is getting married, he's probably going to want to throw a bachelor party. As a best friend, you have to make sure all the details of the party are planned out, so your friend's fiancé doesn't have to worry about them. Beyond that, you can also help your friend plan the party as well. If she doesn't feel confident in planning it on her own, offer to help her out. You can help plan the guest list, help pick a venue, and help book any entertainment or activities that might be part of the party. Planning the party will take a lot of pressure off your friend, and she'll appreciate all the help she can get.

Bottom line

There is a lot of responsibility when you are a bridesmaid. You are there to support the bride on her wedding day, and it’s more than just showing up in a pretty dress. You need to be prepared to help the bride with any tasks that may come up, such as handling the dress if she needs alterations done or picking up the groom’s suit from the tailor. You also need to be a good example for other guests, which means not drinking too heavily, being respectful to the other guests and the venue staff, and being on time for the ceremony. It’s also good to have a few activities planned ahead of time with the other bridesmaids to keep the day fun and exciting. It's important that you take the role seriously. Make sure you know the person you're standing up for, and make sure you know the person getting married. On the day, stand up for your friend, help her feel beautiful, laugh as much as possible, and keep her guests in line. You are a bridesmaid because you are a wonderful person, and your friend will appreciate all you do.