The summer months are here that includes one thing – wedding season! I personally love weddings, and during the winter months’ love seeing who gets engages and their journey to the altar.
In February one of my bridesmaids Lauren got engaged and she asked me if I would be one of her bridesmaids. Of course, I said yes! This is my third time being a bridesmaid and I started thinking about what it takes to be the best possible bridesmaid. Below are eight things I’ve learned from my big day and my friend’s special days.
- Be supportive. Being a bride is stressful. Believe me, I’ve been there. You have enough going on and don’t need your bridesmaids giving you grief about the dress color or groomsmen they’re walking with. You need to be a cheerleader for the bride and back her up on all her decisions.
- Constantly be asking the bride what you can do to help her. Whether it’s picking up her dress from alteration, taking the rings to get sized, helping her get organized the day-of, you are there for the bride. A million things are running through her head to remember, taking a few things will help your bestie. It’ll relieve stress and help her enjoy her day!
- Be present. We all do it. When your friend gets engaged you tell her if she needs anything to let you know. But when it’s time for a dress fitting or food tasting, you’re nowhere to be found. Show up to these types of things and help make them more fun. Your friend will appreciate the company and extra opinion. Also, stay off your phone and be in the moment! There’s a photographer there the day of the wedding, just be present and be happy for your friend on their day.
- Be everywhere early. Bridal shower, bachelorette party, engagement party, rehearsal dinner, no matter which event it is, there is probably always something for you to do. Being early, helpful and available will help the bride and make her feel a little less anxious if she should delegate a task while she socializes and mingles. And also volunteer! Volunteer to write the gifts down at the bridal shower or get extra ice for the rehearsal dinner.
- Remember it’s not about you. You feel glamorous and beautiful after having your hair and make-up done and you look good. Perhaps you’re trying to catch a groomsmen’s eye. But remember no one is supposed to care how you look. It’s the bride’s day and her appearance is the only one that really matters. So know you look nice, but don’t make it all about you and your bad self.
- Start saving early. Most of the time as a bridesmaid you help plan the bachelorette party and bridal shower. A lot of time and money go into these activities and you need to be prepared! You also have to save up for the bridesmaids dress, shoes, accessories and gifts for the wedding and bridal shower. Stop getting your morning coffee at Starbucks, eat in, or sell some clothes you don’t wear on Poshmark to earn a little extra cash.
- Get everything as soon as possible. When my friend Lauren got engaged and picked out a color for our bridesmaid’s dresses, I immediately made an appointment at David’s Bridal. Bridesmaids dresses must be ordered most of the time and can take weeks to arrive. I arrived at my appointment at the Cool Springs, TN location (find a store near you here) and talked with my stylist about style, color and overall feel. There’s also a quiz you can take online to find your personal Bridesmaid Style! The quiz was helpful because there are so many pretty styles. They have long and short, interesting backs and back details, alternate necklines, embellished details, etc If you have a specific dress in mind, David’s Bridal probably has it!
Luckily, Lauren (the bride) had the color dress and shoes she wanted in the David’s Bridal system, so it was easy to double check and make sure we were looking at all the things the bride wanted. David’s Bridal has over 50 colors available. Couples can coordinate their day with invitations, décor and groom and groomsmen attire in the same shades!Lauren said we could have any style dress we wanted if it was a certain color grey. So, I tried on long, short, high/low, a ton of styles to see what was comfortable on me and what moved the best. I loved the Versa dress since it could be worn several different ways, depending on your mood! See a couple of the different styles I tried on.
Eventually I settled on a sweetheart high/low dress because I loved the overlay and it was comfortable enough for me to wear all day. - Get the exact dress and accessories the bride wants. I’m guilty of this. I tried on all the mystic grey dresses at David’s Bridal. My stylist had me try on a dress in a style that mystic grey came in but I fell in love with this bright cobalt blue color! It could be easy to think, “Oh just put me in the middle” or “no one will care what color my dress is anyway.”
I also had fun trying on a few wedding dresses. I couldn’t help myself! I’m pretty sure I said aloud, “No one would notice if I wore this right?”
Jokes aside, it doesn’t matter what you think of the color or style. It matters to the bride and the vision she has for the wedding. That’s why it was so nice that David’s Bridal knew exactly what Lauren wanted, it helped me not get off task and to focus on the colors at hand.David’s Bridal also had the shoes, jewelry and belts that I needed to complete my bridesmaid’s ensemble. You get amazing value for quality and price with price starting under $100.
They also have some amazing designer brands like White x Vera Wang, Wonder by Jenny Packham, Violets and Roses, and a new collaboration with Donna Morgan!
If you’re a bride or one of her maids, definitely go to your latest David’s Bridal to check out their selection. They made this the most smooth and painless experience!
