A bridesmaid’s job is to assist the bride and be part of the ceremony. If there is a maid of honour, the bride usually delegates the main responsibilities to her, meaning the other bridesmaids can help with smaller tasks. But, if there is no maid of honour, other bridesmaids might step up to the challenge.
1) Helping the bride
Bridesmaids are expected to lend a helping hand with preparation and on-the-day organisation. Before the big day, this could be anything from little DIY crafts to chatting through schedules, suppliers, and events. Or the bride might just need a break and a chat about something other than weddings! It isn’t a bridesmaid’s job to spend all her free time on the wedding, but any assistance will help the couple.
2) Attending events
There might be an engagement party, hen party, bridal shower, dress fitting, and rehearsal. Or there might be none of these. Either way, bridesmaids are usually expected to attend wedding related events if asked by the bride, wherever they may be.
3) Not creating stress
Weddings are wonderful, beautiful events. But they can also be a little stressful for the couple. Bridesmaids who stay calm and support the bride emotionally contribute more than they might realise. Equally, if they notice an issue, coming up with a solution will probably be very much appreciated!
4) Assist the maid of honour
Depending on the size of the wedding, a maid of honour’s task list can be lengthy. For example, rather than organise the hen party single-handedly, the maid of honour might delegate certain tasks or ask for input.
5) Being useful on the day
On the day, bridesmaids might need to set up, sort little issues, greet guests, help the bride get dressed, walk down the aisle, give a reading, or even be ready to handle a little meltdown from the bride should things not going quite as planned.
A positive attitude and a smile go a long way to helping the bride stay calm, as does keeping an eye out to make sure they have time to enjoy the day!
How many bridesmaids should you have?
There is no set number of bridesmaids for a wedding. In theory, you can have as many or as few bridesmaids as you want. But it’s a good idea to take your wedding size and budget into consideration.
Paying for the bridesmaids
The amount of money you spend on each bridesmaid depends on how you organise your wedding. For example, you need to decide fairly who pays for the dresses, hair, and makeup. You might need little bouquets (usually funded by the engaged couple), bridesmaids favours, and a hen party fund. The more people involved in the wedding, the more costly it can be.
Your wedding size
On the other hand, the more people you invite, the more help you might need. So, if you’re having a large wedding, it can be very useful to have a team of bridesmaids on hand. Smaller weddings might look unbalanced with a horde of bridesmaids and at the front of a little church or venue. But smaller weddings don’t always follow tradition and it could be fun to ask your closest friends to be more involved than simply watching the ceremony.
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