How to choose your bridesmaids
You may be one of the lucky people that has had your bridesmaids by your side since the age of 15. You were theirs, they'll be yours, easy peasy! You're on of the lucky ones, for many people choosing maids isn't as simple. There are all sorts of things that you need to consider, maybe you both have 5 sisters and there are 10 nieces between you, before you've even thought about your friends or their children. You don't want to offend or annoy anybody but it is your day and so you do get to choose who'll be by your side on the day.
Some things to think about when considering your bridal party...
Who is willing to, and will be the best candidate to organise a hen do for you? Perhaps you have a good friend who when you say 'hen-do' they say 'stripper', but what you'd really prefer is a quiet spa day with friends and family members.
Is there a friend in particular that you'd like to be with you as you choose your wedding dress? somebody's opinion that you value highly, somebody who has great style. Maybe you'd just like to shop with your mum
or maybe your mum can't be there with you and you have a special friend in mind?
Who is going to be willing and able to help organise you on the day? Maybe the friend who likes one or
two too many Proseccos with lunch isn't the best girl for the role? Or maybe you'd love to have a really wild reception and she's actually the perfect girl for the role?
You want to choose a group of girls who will not only get along with each other, but also the entire bridal party as they'll be spending lots of time together on the day and may even be sat with yourselves, each
other and your parents on the top table?
If you're having lots of little bridesmaids or flower girls, it's a good idea to choose an older maid to help coordinate the littles on the day. Or have you already made the decision that you won't have any small
maids at all?
Maybe you have one very close friend in a group of 10 and you only want her by your side, maybe you can afford to ask the entire group, or maybe you have 2 sisters who'd just love to be there with you on the day?
A few dos and don'ts to consider...
DO
Be sensitive, if you feel like somebody will be left out, ask them to be a part of the day in a another way by perhaps being a witness to the marriage, giving a speech or maybe doing a reading at the ceremony.
Consider the age and strength of the relationship, maybe asking somebody who you've known for 3 months isn't the best plan if you're not getting married for another 2 years.
Pick a great team who will compliment and lift yourself as well as one another on the day, a group that you will have the best time with and who will get along with each other, your significant other and whole bridal party and the entire guest list.
DON'T
Let anybody do the choosing for you, don't feel like you have to ask everybody - it's your day you should do as you feel most comfortable and if somebody react badly, that's even more of a sign that you made the right decision not asking them.
Be offended if somebody declines. Maybe one of your friend s going through something personal outside of your relationship, is likely to be pregnant at the time of the wedding or will be a new mum or simply can't commit to the date/destination of the wedding for another reason altogether. It's not a reflection on your relationship.
Stress over it too much, go with your gut and you'll be happy.
How will you propose to your girls?
Now you've made the decision about who to ask, how are you going to do it? We've got a really lovely collection of personalised bridesmaid, maid of honour and flower girl cards that are the perfect way to ask your maids and will double up as a beautiful and sentimental keepsake for years to come. Each card will have your maid's name printed onto the front and will come with a luxury envelope and wax seal - we'll even print a personalised message inside free of charge.
Take a look at our designs below...
