Part of the fun of being a bride is getting to choose a bridesmaid to share in the fun and joy of the wedding. You can, in theory, have as many bridesmaids as you like, but any number between one and four is about right. If you have more than one bridesmaid you may want to ask one to act as chief bridesmaid or maid of honour. It’s also common to have a flower girl or two. You may be lucky enough to have one particular childhood friend who is perfect bridesmaid material – or be planning to ask a sister or other family member to perform the bridesmaid’s duties. Our guide to choosing your bridesmaid, flower girl and maid of honour will help you understand what makes a perfect bridesmaid and how to go about choosing her.
Once you understand what the bridesmaid is traditionally required to do, it will be easier to decide which of your friends is best suited to the job. Remember to tailor the list to fit your own style of wedding – some ceremonies are more formal than others.
The bridesmaid will be...
• Helping you shop for your wedding dress. A great bridesmaid will be honest and tactful, and won’t say you look fantastic if you don’t.
• Responsible for organising the hen party. This means you will need to trust that your bridesmaid knows your idea of a good time – and will respect it!
• Carrying out errands to help you, such as letting wedding guests know how to access the wedding present list.
• Giving advice on decorations, the seating plan, music for the reception and more – you’ll want a bridesmaid who has similar tastes to you, or who knows when to keep quiet.
• Helping you to get dressed before the ceremony. Obviously you’ll want your bridesmaid to prioritise getting you ready, and be able to keep you calm.
• Taking each wedding present from guests as they arrive and finding a safe place to store them. She should be responsible and reliable.
• Holding the bouquet during the ceremony.
All of the above can apply to the maid of honour or any of the bridesmaids. The flower girl usually walks down the aisle ahead of the bridal party, looking as cute as can be.
Bridesmaid Gifts
The bride should select a special gift for the maid of honour, bridesmaid and flower girl. These gifts could include token gifts to say thank you. However, if your bridesmaid has been especially fabulous, it may be worth getting a
bridesmaid gift that she won't forget in a hurry, such as a personalised gift like an engraved mirror compact, a personalised teddy bear or a bottle of personalised champagne.
Date posted: 27/05/2010
