Choosing Your Bridesmaids

The bridesmaid fulfills no small role in the marriage. Especially the Maid of Honor: she is usually the best friend, someone who’s reliable and dependable, and one who’s always there through thick or thin (like yourr spouse should be). Now you may already have an idea about who your bridal squad should be. But perhaps you need to consider four things before doing so.

Best hold off the choice until you know your wedding date. You need to respect your bridesmaids-to-be schedules and personal lives. They may have had plans of their own (such as a family traditional event) for a certain date, and when you put your wedding on that date, causing them to bump off their own date, that can cause friction. Thus, it’s better to have the date set first, then you choose who will be part of the entourage beased on their availability.

Give it a few weeks. This is why having little planning allowance (such as, setting the wedding a week later!) is a no-no. A lot of lead time is necessary to allow for changes. Take the time to think about the people you want to put in. After considering availability, it’s time to consider the appropriateness. For example, knowing that two of friends have a little disagreement, you may want to have them together on your wedding. Gauge the characters of your friends and you know who will be appropriate to include in the event.

Make to know as many wedding details as you can. There is of course the type of wedding and what kind of things you’ll be doing in it. If you have a friend who doesn’t drink liquor, they likely won’t appreciate the bar. Or they may not like the theme you would have. Once you know, you can ask your friends if they’re willing to put up with the shenanigans they put in your wedding, and thus, whether they can be part of that all-important entourage.

The 60-day grace period is ideal. That’s 60 days after getting officially engaged and before you ask the friends to become bridesmaids. That’ll give you enough time to sort out the wedding details, how many bridesmaids you want and who among your squad can be included.