Being a Bridesmaid

This weekend was the last time I'll be a bridesmaid before I get married, and the only time I was a bridesmaid while I was engaged.  It definitely changed my outlook on being a part of a bridal party, what it means to be a bridesmaid, and gave me some good perspective for things that can go wrong on my wedding day - and why it's so important to have people you love standing beside you to help you through.

Being a bridesmaid is an honor that I do not take lightly,  I know there are some bridesmaids that feel that their responsibility ends with the shower/bachelorette party,  the only thing they have to do is to show up on the day of the wedding and look pretty in their dress. More power to them, but that's not what I think a bridesmaid should be.

All Photos Personal


For me, being a bridesmaid meant helping my friend with crafts along the way:

Card sign made with the Cricut 

Or crafting on my own to make a special gift for my friend, no matter how trying it was:

Bride hanger in action, with her beautiful dress 

Or making her a bride hat for her bachelor/bachelorette party (they are huge country fans and did a joint party at the Brad Paisley concert) I am so happy she liked it enough to include it in her grand entrance for the reception: (I'm a terrible blogger and have no pictures of the hat itself!)

At the Brad Paisley Concert (top) and making her entrance at the reception (bottom)

Or making sure her nerves were calmed the day of by providing copious amounts of (pink!) champagne for the bride and all the bridesmaids:

I embrace any reason to drink a bit of the bubbly! 

Or providing the bride with some cute gifts to wear on the night of/after/honeymoon:

Bridal Underwear from Target (not available online - but they are on clearance this week at the Target near me!!)

There are many things I did with my friend in the weeks leading up to her wedding, going to the florist, going to taste the tap water at the venue with her, and just generally trying to keep her nerves calm while sharing in her excitement for her big day.

Things went wrong the day of -  a huge storm rolled through and there was a fire, the hotel lost power, obviously the timeline was thrown off track and the make-up artist couldn't get all the bridesmaids make-up done in time, so I volunteered to just get my base airbrushed and I'd do the rest myself - so none of the other girls would have to skip getting their make-up done.  Because of this, I was the last bridesmaid to get dressed, missed seeing my friend getting into her dress, her first look with her dad, and all of her bridal portraits before we left the hotel - but my main concern was not that I was missing these moments, but rather that these things were happening as she wanted and she was staying calm whether I was there to see it or not.  Whatever part I could play in making these things happen as perfectly as possible, I did because in my mind that is what a bridesmaid does.

Maybe I tend to go beyond the norm for bridesmaids. There were times throughout it all that I felt a bit resentful that more of the other girls didn't do as much as I did, but any time I felt those feelings creep up, I had to remind myself that this day wasn't about me. I was doing these things because I really wanted to, not because I ever felt like I had to.  There needs to be the worker bees in the bridal party, the ones who will be there to pick up any slack, stop catastrophes before they start, and keep things running smoothly - no matter the cost. I gladly take on that role, because I know my friend will do the same for me.

When my day comes, I have nine wonderful ladies that will do everything in their power to make sure that my day goes seamlessly, and no matter what that day throws at us, they will be my guardians to make sure I'm unaffected by anything that dares try to get in my way.

My final stint as a bridesmaid - with the newly wedded couple 

What have your experiences as a bridesmaid been like? What type of bridesmaid are you?