Photo Credit: Instagram/Klalaphotography
Preparing for a wedding can be a daunting task from picking a dress to the menu and of course the location...the list goes on and on. On top of all this, you have to select your bridal party!
Here are four tips to make the selection process a tad bit easier.
1. Relationships
Frankly, this cannot be overemphasized. For such a precious event, you want the best people in your corner rooting for and supporting you all the way. Brides sometimes trade solid relationships for a larger bridal party and although this may result in prettier pictures, it doesn’t always make for a pleasant experience. Choose your dearest and closest friends (with great attitudes) and/or family and it’ll be a mini-vacay for everyone!
2. Cash, Cash, Cash
So you have a list of potential bridesmaid and an approximate cost? Can your friends afford it comfortably? Will people have to fly in to attend? Is your budget reasonable? Money can be a touchy subject especially with friends which is why relationships matter. If you know your friend is in a pickle financially, have an honest, polite conversation asking if they can be a part of the bridal party whilst providing alternative ways they can help if they cannot.
3. Feuds?
Say you have two close friends who are feuding, both of which are in the running for your bridal party. Imagine you silently picked friend “A” over the friend “B” and friend “B” finds out. Now, friend B is upset on two fronts; not being on the bridal party and B, the fact that “arch-enemy” was picked over him/her. All this drama! So we suggest you speak to them separately and then together. Explain that their addition to the bridal party is hinged on cordiality between each other and how much it will mean to you if they could bury the hatchet.
If all these fails, you might have to go with the more receptive of both parties or neither at all. A wedding is supposed to be fun not a boxing ring!
4. Your Partner's Family
Remember now, there are two of you getting married. Offer your partner a slot (or more if you wish) in case he or she would want a member of their family in the bridal party, perhaps a sister, brother or close cousin. What if you don’t get along too well with the nominated person? There are two options. Either explain this to your partner and offer another role in the wedding (as this is the inner tribe) or if it means so much to your partner, compromise and have them in the bridal party and kill them with kindness.