Bridesmaid Duties & Responsibilities

Bridesmaids are usually bride’s friends or cousins. They are bride’s chaperones and they help her throughout the whole wedding. Choosing your bridesmaids can be difficult, especially if you have a wide range of friends. But whoever you chose, make sure they are your closest friends.

This day is mostly gathering of friends and family who celebrate this together with the couple. Two dear people close to them are making a big life decision and that should be all about the celebration of their love.

Bridesmaids are there to help their friend get ready for her big day, and to make sure everything goes just the way she planned. We will list the most important bridesmaid’s responsibilities and duties, before, during and after the ceremony.

Duties and responsibilities of a bridesmaid

Planning a wedding is not easy. Actually, it is far from that.

Every single detail needs to be in order. This means flowers, invitations, seating and everything else needs to be planned ahead. This is why wedding plans are distributed amongst bridesmaids, maid of honor, bride and all the other friends and family.

Bridesmaids, of course, play a crucial role in all of the plans. They offer their help to the bride from invitations to seating arrangements and every other task.

Bridesmaids play the role of emotional support for the bride, so they need to make sure she knows they are there for her.

Maid of honor coordinates all of the bridesmaids, and when it comes to picking out the bridesmaid dresses, they can also participate. This depends on the way the tasks have been dealt, but one of their responsibilities is usually this one.

They are in charge of jewelry, shoes, dresses and everything else a bridesmaid needs on the big day. They need to agree on their choice and also not outshine the bride, because in the end it is her big day.

Bridal showers are another important task bridesmaids share. To help the bride, they need to organize, host and even pay for the shower. This is actually a gift every bridesmaid gives to her best friend, and a way to show gratitude for the important role that has been given to them .
Planning a bachelorette party is a must. This task can belong to the maid of honor or to her and the bridesmaids. This is the last night your friend will go out as single, so you need to make sure she has the time of her life. Planning a theme is very important. Bridesmaids need to organize everything, from the location to the activities. This will also be a nice “goodbye” to your friend who is about to make a great step in her life.
Gifts received during the bridal shower can be stored by the bridesmaids (or one of them), or by the maid or matron of honor. To whom belongs this duty will be determined by the bride itself. Since it is a very responsible task, it must be given to someone who the bride trusts. Bridesmaids can write thank you notes for the guests and send them out instead of the couple. This is a great help for the bride and a way to save time for other activities.
Bridesmaids are selected to be bride’s chaperones for that day, but every activity that relates to the wedding must be attended as well. They need to be present at as many parties as possible and help the bride organize them if it is necessary. Every help, no matter how small it is, means a lot for the bride to be.
Errands like confirming flower arrangements or music and all of the other duties are also given to the bridesmaids. They can even do these errands on the day of the wedding since the bride will have too much on her mind that day. Their help is crucial on the day of the wedding, so they need to be coordinated and prepared for a little stress.
Bridesmaids welcome guests during the reception and help everyone sit where they are supposed to. No guest should feel lost or uncomfortable, so bridesmaids are there to help everyone around since the bride won’t be able to take care of everyone at the same time. If there is a guest book present, bridesmaids will be in charge of it too.
One of the most important roles bridesmaids share, is that they need to keep the party going. They are there to make everyone feel comfortable and in a party mood. They can do this with dancing with the groomsmen, with the guests, by making small talk and also making sure everyone is feeling okay and that they have everything they need.
Bride and groom will have enough expenses for the night, so all of the bridesmaids pay for their transportation and stay on that day.
Since maid or matron of honor is the only one who has more responsibilities than the bridesmaids, they can jump in and help her as well. Since there are usually several bridesmaids, their tasks can be separated equally so that no one feels too overwhelmed with his responsibilities. They can even help the bride when she is going to the restroom, or with her dress in general if they are being asked for help.
Even if you are there for the bride throughout the whole wedding, it doesn’t mean that giving her a present is out of the question. It is always nice to show your friend how much she means to you, and give the couple best wishes for their future life.
Weddings can be more than stressful, so bridesmaids need to stay focused and make sure they respect the importance of that day. They need to keep cool and relaxed as much as possible even if everything doesn’t go as planned.
Emotional support and support in general is the key. Sometimes the bride will have different taste than you, but you need to keep in mind that this is her big day. Bridesmaids are not there to overly criticize everything, but to give their love and emotional support to their friend. She is probably going through a lot already and every little critique can make her feel even worse. This is why friendship and close relationship with the bride is important when choosing bridesmaids. They need to know the bride well and how she might react in certain situations.
Always stick together. All of the bridesmaids should be there for each other. When you know that someone is having a hard time at work or at home, jump in on her responsibilities and be there for her. Bridesmaids in a way reflect sisterhood and friendship in a most beautiful way. Even though the maid or matron of honor will coordinate everyone, it is important to remind yourselves what are your responsibilities so that no one gets left behind. In the end, you are doing all of this for your friend so make sure that friendship feeling exists within your little group.
Being someone’s bridesmaid is not easy. It will probably one of the most stressful days you ever had. But what it makes this day so special is the fact you have witnessed one of your best friends make such a big decision in her life, and you have helped in planning this celebration of love. Since it is going to be a form of “goodbye” party for the couple, a lot of emotions will be present.

When all of those pieces come together, you will not remember those bad or stressful moments but only the ones that are filled with love and friendship.

Being someone’s bridesmaid carries a lot of responsibility and it is important to know your duties so that you can help your friend have the time of her life.