Not gonna lie: A lot of it is about the dress…
Being asked to be a bridesmaid is a double-edged sword.
On the one hand, you’ve been asked to be there at one of the most significant occasions in your friend’s life. On the other hand: hideous dress that you must pay for and pretend to like, plus bridezillas (Not that I have had this experience…cough…).
Bridesmaid duty elicits a strong response from anyone who’s experienced it, as evidenced in a recent Reddit thread that had former ‘maids dishing on what they loved – and what they bloody hated.
With the help of Reddit, we’ve pulled together a comprehensive list of the dos and don’ts for brides-to-be who’d like to remain friends with their bridesmaids after the wedding.
1. DO tell your bridesmaids what you want them to do.
“Look, I’m here for you. I want this to be the way you want. My expectations are that I’m going to spend a crapload of money, wear a big puffy dress, and actively seek out the company of a lot of your elderly relatives at events. We are friends so this is cool. Do not also ask me to also make decisions,” wrote “MissChiff0”.
2. DO listen to your bridesmaids.
“The bride listened to our input on dresses, including price, and while she had the final say, we got to veto if we had a problem with it, but we didn’t have to,” wrote “Lil_Boots1”.