Being the Best Bridesmaid you Can Be

Photography by Shellee Draper with Photography by Shellee

Shellee is one of the sweetest and one of the funnest people to work with! When I asked her if she would be willing to submit photos with months article about bridesmaids for Perfect Weddings in The Spectrum, she went above and beyond. Thanks Shellee for these adorable pictures!  They made the article come alive.

What to Expect if you are a Bridesmaid

It is considered an honor to be asked to be a bridesmaid for a friend or sister's big day. Remember though, this honor does not come without responsibilities.

Bridesmaids are like a bride's ladies in waiting. They need to be ready to dry a tear, hold a hand and fill in when necessary. They are the support and shoulder to lean on for the bride.

Bridesmaids may be asked to fill in at appointments with the bride when the groom is not available, help with design ideas or just help take some stress off the bride. Do not assume you will need to assist in all things, but be ready in case you are needed.

A large responsibility of the bridesmaids is to throw the bridal shower and bachelorette party. The matron of honor is usually the head of this event, but relies on all the bridesmaids to help create a good time and ease the financial burden of paying for the parties.

The dreaded bridesmaid dress is also the responsibility of the bridesmaids to purchase for being in the wedding party. Occasionally, the bride will pay for this cost, but traditionally it is the bridesmaids that pay for the dress and shoes the bride has picked.

It is common for all bridesmaids to be in the wedding ceremony, and to precede the bride before her walk down the middle aisle. A bridesmaid will need to be at the rehearsal and dinner party to know what she will be doing for the ceremony.

Common types of ceremonies seen in Southern Utah are Latter-day Saint temple ceremonies. In this case, it is the bridesmaids responsibility to coordinate with the florist to ensure the bride has her bouquet for pictures as soon as she exits the temple, and to bring the bouquet back to the florist for touchups immediately after so it looks good for the reception.

At the reception, a bridesmaid may be asked to participate in the receiving line to greet guests, direct traffic flow, have guests sign the guest book, or even receive the different vendors before the bride arrives. A bridesmaid is expected to be there the whole time to participate and encourage the party if needed.

As the bridesmaid, the most important thing to remember is to be a good friend. After all, that is why you were asked to be a bridesmaid in the first place.