Being asked to be a chief bridesmaid is a great honor: it means that your friend thinks you’re the most organized, trustworthy and fun loving person she knows to do the job. However, if you’ve never been a chief bridesmaid before, it can seem a little daunting (especially if you’ve never been married!) You’ll have to attend dress fittings, organize the bachelorette party and lord knows what else! Fear not, though, because it’s really not that scary. If you follow our Top 5 Tips and you’ll be feeling confident and ready to handle any bridesmaid duties that may come your way.
Show enthusiasm at every stage of planning
This may sound simple but believe us – it’s not. Especially if you’re forced to partake in decisions that you consider to be incredibly boring (like how the napkins should be folded) and aside from your chief bridesmaid duties, you’ve also got your personal life to contend with. So whilst we’re renowned for being the multitasking gender, sometimes it’s hard to sound delighted about your friend’s wedding favours when your dishwasher has just broken. Our advice? Fake it if you have to. After all, the bride-to-be is excited and it’s your duty as chief bridesmaid to not “rain on her parade.”
Be the shoulder to cry on (and the hand that supplies the tissues)
Although weddings are a joyous occasion, they do require a lot of planning and preparation, which invites unwanted potential issues and stress. So it’s your duty to show sympathy and provide practical advice if the bride-to-be gets annoyed with her in-laws, or has any problems with the wedding planning. Sometimes these sessions may (or may not) involve trips to the local supermarket to buy ice cream, tissues and rosé. Do these without complaint – she’ll appreciate it.
Attend any shopping /dress fittings trips that are required of you
We know that sometimes after the 20th trip to a wedding boutique it all starts to blur into a big white mess but remember – it’s important to the bride-to-be and you are her trusted friend. So smile and think of friendship. However if by some reason you can’t make a fitting, then sound sorry (even if you aren’t) and give her a good reason (especially if you’ve cancelled on short notice). Because as far as the bride-to-be is concerned, this could be the most important dress she’s ever going to wear and if you’re not there to provide an opinion… then you better have a good reason for it!
Be co-operative when it comes to buying all the wedding dresses/suits/etc
It’s her big day and if she wants you in peach, wear peach. However, if you’re venomously against it, then we hope that she listens to your pleas (after all we’re sure you’ve had to put up with a few of her demands!) Just remember that it’s her wedding, so whilst you might not agree on the styles and colour choices, it’s her choice at the end of the day and all you can do is offer your opinion and hope to high heaven that she doesn’t choose peach.
Organize the Bachelorette Party
This is one of the most important parts that you have to get right, your friends, the bride-to-be and everyone who is attending the bachelorette party is counting on you to get this right. So come up with some bachelorette party ideas and start planning a party. Make sure you think about what the bride-to-be likes and take the other attendees into consideration too. That way you’ll avoid any party disasters and it’ll be a bachelorette party to remember!
What are some tips that have helped you be the perfect chief bridesmaid?
