I’ve just accepted my first ever invitation to be a bridesmaid for some very good friends.
Being a fairly low-key and relaxed kind of couple I’m not concerned about any freak outs or “Bridezilla” moments. Nor, knowing my friend’s simple and elegant tastes do I expect to find myself locked into a series of Saturday morning shopping trips to look at ghastly creations made from taffeta.
But I am wondering - in light of all the things I know my friend doesn’t want at her wedding – what exactly does a bridesmaid to the off-beat bride do? And what types of behaviours should be avoided at all costs?
Helping the bride plan the wedding is ranked number three on the list of “Bridesmaid Duties” according to Elegala, an online wedding etiquette website.
But simply type the word “wedding” into Google and you can expect to be bowled over with advice (63,800,000 pages on my last count) and creative ideas for every conceivable kind of wedding. And, from what I can see some pretty good examples of things tried, tested and best avoided.
There’s everything from the “classic” as so aptly depicted above to the (very) bare minimum as illustrated in the wedding below:
Or you can opt for a “creative” wedding. And from what I understand after reading a couple of the articles this is also just another way of saying “GFC inspired” or weddings that adpot a depression-era approach to cost cutting Right down to the very last detail. See below for a highly creative example.
A quick survey amongst friends who’ve already tripped down the aisle in the role of bridesmaid gleaned some very sound advice.
Here’s their top five suggestions, but what do you think, have I missed anything? Add your tips below.
Things best avoided in the role as bridesmaid include:
1. No impromptu speech making
2. No impromptu singing
3. It’s not about you. So don’t wear white or make any obvious attempt to look better than the bride
4. Don’t get drunk before the ceremony
5. Don’t pash the groom. And if you have in the past, don’t mention it at the wedding to anyone (especially in case of #1)
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