News: Bridesmaid role and duties (Jun/05)

Being asked to be a bridesmaid is a great honour, and one that most girls feel lucky to be part of.

We’ve put together a short guide to being a bridesmaid, and outlined your roles and bridesmaids duties to get extra bridesmaid brownie points.

Here is our guide for the #bridetribe before the wedding, on the day through to the evening.

Before the wedding 

The Dress
Help the bride to find your dress and make sure you turn up to dress fittings prepared. 
 

Wear a strapless bra, seam-free underwear and the right kind of shoes. Remember this is the brides choice, if you don’t like what you’re trying on but the bride does, try to love it as much as she does.

See the Alexia Designs guide to Wedding Dress Shopping.
 

Wedding DIY
 

If the bride is making favours or table decorations, be prepared to sacrifice a couple of weekends in order to help her out.
 

The morning of the wedding 

It makes sense for all the bridesmaids to get dressed wherever the bride is getting ready. 

On the morning of the wedding, you’ll need to ensure that everyone is where they should be, when they should be, and that the right clothes and accessories are ready for the right person.

Get dressed as quickly and quietly and efficiently as you can, the bride won’t thank you for a tantrum over a bad hair day. 

Your other duties in the morning include: arriving at the bride’s house or hotel in plenty of time for the hairdresser and make-up artist being on hand to help dress junior bridesmaids; take charge of any younger bridesmaids to ensure everyone’s dressed with hair and make-up done.

Looking after a handbag for the bride, containing tissues, and a lipstick for touch ups throughout the day. We also recommend you pack an ‘emergency kit’ for the morning too – see our guide on 7 things every bride should have on their wedding morning.

Getting to the ceremony

As everyone will be excited and perhaps a little emotional about the coming events you must remain calm and organised.

Once all the attendants are assembled, the photographer may want to take some photographs before the bride arrives. 

At the ceremony

When the bride arrives, the bridesmaids will need to ensure everyone is assembled and in the right position ready for the brides entrance. 

Calm any excited little junior bridesmaids and pageboys using bribery tools (sweets often work).

Make any necessary adjustments to the bride’s veil and dress so that she looks absolutely gorgeous for her big entrance.

You follow the bride into the venue and usually sit near the front. Make sure that you know where to go and that young children have their parents seated close by.

Once the bride has joined the groom, the chief bridesmaid usually takes her bouquet and looks after them for the duration of the service.

At the reception

 Once at the reception, the bride may want the chief bridesmaid to be a part of the receiving line. The purpose of the line is to allow the guests to meet the bridal party, and to ensure that the bride and groom say at hello to every guest.

You may also have the responsibility for displaying the bride’s bouquet somewhere safe ensuring it doesn’t get damaged during the rest of the day. 

Make sure guests go in to the wedding breakfast when they should and be one of the first onto the dance floor later.

The first dance is exclusively reserved for the newlyweds, but it is traditional for the chief bridesmaid to take to the floor with the best man and join the happy couple midway through the first dance.