So, it’s finally time to say “I do”, but before that magical moment, you’ll need to do a lot of planning. One of those things includes finalizing your bridal team. Picking bridesmaids might seem easy, but it’s a whole ordeal. Some brides recall it being more challenging than choosing the venue and the wedding party rentals. Here are some tips for picking your bridesmaids.

Start With Sisters

If you have sisters and cousins in your family, then half of the bridal party dilemma is already solved. There’s not a better person fit to be your bridesmaid, than your sister. Usually, brides can get pretty flustered when it’s time to select candidates for the bridal party, but it’s pretty easy if you have some specifics to work with.

Your sisters are already responsible and they, most likely, share the same personality traits as you, so you know that your big day is covered and the responsibilities are taken care of.

For major roles, like the maid of honor and the key bridesmaids, you need to go through your own family first, because chances are that you’ll find a lot of great options, and most of all, they already know you and your preferences, and the wedding traditions of the family. So, there’s no need for you to give them the rundown. If if you’re not on good terms with them or would prefer your friends, then go ahead.

How Many Girls Do You Need?

This is a very important question that a lot of brides can ask. How many people do you need for your bridesmaid squad?

The answer typically depends on you. Traditionally, there’s a rule of thumb that for every 50 guests there’s one bridesmaid, but you can tweak the rule a little bit in your favor. If you have a lot of friends, family cousins, and girl besties who are willing to join the hitch squad, then that’s brilliant.

However, if you only have a handful of friends, then that’s not an issue either. Remember, “quality over quantity” should be the game plan.

When Should You Ask?

The butterflies in your stomach after getting engaged settle down at a snail’s pace and while it’s understandable to be excited and ask every single girlfriend you know to be a part of your bridesmaid gang, as soon as the rock is on your finger, it’s smart to wait it out.

Decisions made in elation can backfire and you want a few months to process the entire wedding planning and who will be the helping hand on your big day. You can start asking your friends about being your bridesmaids around 4 to 6 months before your wedding.

Responsibility Over Everything

This is probably the most important thing to remember. There’s only one thing that you need to remember when selecting bridesmaids and that is to select people who are responsible.

It doesn’t matter if it’s your friend or your sister, you need to test them on their personality, their way of handling drama, whether they start drama or not, and how they diffuse a rowdy situation.

People with qualities of responsibility, punctuality, and mediation are the ones you need to look for from the crowd. Bridesmaids and groomsmen essentially look after all of the wedding festivities in the background like dealing with the venue, vendors, and party table rentals Rockland NY while the bride and groom enjoy their day. So, make sure that you’re selecting people who are up for the task.

Sisters Vs. Besties

This is a tough decision to make, for a lot of people, but you need to act on logic and reasoning, rather than emotions and sympathy. Yes, sisters and girl best friends are your true companions, but whenever there’s a wedding concerned, the last thing you need is an unwanted situation rearing its ugly head, which can be a direct reaction to how it was handled in the first place.

If you feel like your sister is more responsible than your best friend, then she needs to be a bridesmaid; no argument, and vice versa.

The “Best Friend” Guilt

Weddings are already a mental toll on the couple. Add to that the drama of bridesmaids/groomsmen selection, it’s the perfect recipe for a major burnout. The notion of asking your best friend to be the bridesmaid or maid of honor is traditional, and while you can consider best friends as possible options, it’s not necessary to allocate this slot for them specifically.

Best friend guilt is a thing, but being a bridesmaid is a job fit for someone who knows how to work under pressure while ensuring the smooth sailing of everything else in the background. If your best friend doesn’t fit the requirements, then you should give the role to someone else. It might hurt both of you, but a mismanaged wedding is something that will haunt you for the rest of your life.

Study The Personality Of The Contenders

Your friend group, and even people in the family, have different personalities. Some are chill and laid back, some are fashionably late to every gathering, some are the mother hen of the group, and some are the assertive mock leaders who want everything to be perfect.

While scoping the crowd for your bridesmaids, it’s crucial to know what the person is like. Remember that you’ll need someone who’s mediating, responsible, and knows how to get work done, so those are the key qualities you need to look for.

Keep The Budget In Mind

This is another thing that can slip through the cracks. The number of bridesmaids you need is not just a matter of preference. When someone signs up to be your bridesmaid, then you’ll need to handle their expenses as well. Things like dresses, transportation, plane tickets and accommodation (in case of a destination wedding), makeup, gifts, etc., need to be managed by you.

So, more is not always the merrier, because the more the bridesmaids are, the more your budget will need to be expanded to fit everyone’s expenses. Make your decision wisely, because you can’t make it again.

The “Maid Of Honor” Badge Goes To…

The maid of honor is like the head of the bridal party and the bride’s right-hand woman. Sounds very glamorous, right? However, the responsibilities are anything but. The maid of honor has the most responsibility on her shoulders because she needs to keep the bridesmaids together, make plans for the bachelorette party, and ensure that the assigned tasks are done by each bridesmaid.

So, as a bride, you need to think twice as hard, when assigning someone as the maid of honor because they need to value and understand their position, vital duties, and reliance.

Talk Things Out

It’s best to communicate things with your possible prospects for bridesmaids. Be honest about what you’re expecting from them and what is your definition of “a perfect bridesmaid”. This is going to ensure that everyone understands your commitment to responsibility and associated worries.

Conclusion

Usually, brides don’t think a lot when it’s time to choose a group of women who are going to be responsible as well as your ride-or-die, but it’s crucial because you want your big day to fly by smoothly. And you should decide this early on with things like choosing the vendors and wedding tent rentals Rockland NY.