The girls that you choose to be in your bridal party are no doubt there to help you, support you and cheer you on before, during and after the big day. But how do you know exactly what is appropriate to ask of them? Of course they’re your best buds, but you don’t want to make them feel used or stressed. Here are some common tasks that bridesmaids often tackle and how you can tell when you’re crossing the line of bride-in-need to bridezilla:

DO:

  • Ask your girls to be there for the wedding and rehearsal dinner. These two events are the most important, so it’s only natural that your best friends be there to support you.
  • Lean on your maid of honor for the following tasks: coordinating the bridal shower and bachelorette party, scheduling the dress fittings, addressing wedding invitations, keeping track of gifts at the shower and other organizational tasks.
  • Have each bridesmaid fund their own dress, shoes, makeup, manicure/pedicure and hair styles for the big day. Whether you pick out the dress or they do, it’s traditional for each girl to fund their own outfit.
  • Ask them for emotional support. While the wedding planning process is quite exciting and fun, there are times where it can get a bit stressful, and this when you can turn to your best friends for some support in order to get through it. Whenever you feel frazzled, don’t be afraid to pick up the phone and ask them for advice or a shoulder to lean on. Oftentimes, they’ll be happy you called and feel included!

DON’T:

  • Ask them to attend every little event of the wedding planning process like picking out flowers, meeting with your baker and visiting your photographer. While these are important tasks, they are ones you can tackle yourself. Of course if you need their opinion, they’re always there for that. But you can’t expect them to clear their schedule for each and every little wedding-related event.
  • Require them to fund unnecessary beauty treatments like spray tans, professional makeup application, etc., unless you’re the one who will be taking care of the bill in the end.
  • Ignore budget concerns. Not every bridesmaid is going to be able to afford that Vera Wang dress you’ve had your eye on for months. Unless you plan on paying for the dress yourself or splitting the bill, it’s your responsibility as the bride to come up with a solution that works for everyone, rather than putting them in financial hot water for one dress.

How are you planning to have your bridesmaids help you out for the big day? Share your thoughts with us!

Photo credit: Munaluchi Bride