You are about to get your rock but before that, you need your flock! Every bride will get this in the first go. Your best friend also, your bridesmaid has always had your back irrespective of any situation, and it will be the same on your wedding day. One of the most common things we’ve witnessed is “cold feet.” It is completely okay for the bride to have cold feet at your wedding, however, speaking from experience, no one handles it better than the bridesmaid.
Even for men, their best man is the one who acts as their support to not be overwhelmed with cold feet. You may hire a good Indian wedding planner Chicago like Forurevents but some duties are all about professionalism that such a wedding planner will surely cover but some duties are just so personal like bridesmaids duties.
She is indeed a very important part of the wedding. Especially if it’s an Indian wedding, then you will need your bridesmaid with you throughout all the rituals to help you out. But we are here for the women behind the action.
Being a bridesmaid comes with a lot of responsibilities. Being a bridesmaid simply means now you have that absolute responsibility to pull together the perfect wedding that your BFF bride has always desired.
Are you someone who’s going to be a bridesmaid at your close friend’s wedding or know it’s happening soon? Then this article is surely for you.
So how it starts? You guessed it right! Bachelorette. It includes helping the bride choose the venue to select a theme for the party. Shortlisting the friends and cousins for the invite to select that beautiful dress for the perfect night to celebrate bachelorhood. How can we forget the most important thing? The goodie packages or bags for everyone. Most of the packages include beauty products, chocolates, and many other cute things for all your girlfriends showing up that night.
Bridesmaid duties that are more than just arranging things:
Emotional Balance:
There is no doubt that the bridesmaids serve as the bride’s emotional support system since they are her closest friends, siblings, and other family members, as well as the individuals she wishes to have by her side while she makes this momentous life decision. They should communicate with her throughout the wedding preparation process, keep a check on her especially if there is anything that she’s worrying about, and do their best to intentionally and sensitively support her feelings. Knowing that her best friends and sister(s) are available to support her as needed can reassure the bride when wedding planning becomes difficult. It is quite common for a bride to have cold feet. That’s exactly where the bridesmaid shall make her feel better and help the bride to clear her mind.
Planning A Bridal Shower:
Bridal shower has become a trendy event before marriage today. A bridal shower is generally a themed brunch or dinner, similar to a Bridgerton scenario. Both activities can be scheduled a few weeks or even a couple of months before the wedding, depending on the bride’s preferences. It is quite important to have a conversation with the bride about what she wants and who she wants to attend will help the bridesmaids choose a theme, clothing, and activities.
In addition to the same, as a bridesmaid, it is your duty to make sure that the decoration and everything is done perfectly for the most important thing I.e photography. Talking about photography, choosing a professional photographer is one of the major things that impact the wedding. Everyone has a craze for pictures which is why it is important that you should hire a professional wedding photographer like Shan Photography.These are true professionals that will curate the best wedding pictures for all functions from day 1 to the wedding/reception day.
Helping with the Outfits:
Choosing the dress for the wedding is one of the major things that the bridesmaid definitely needs help with. Being someone close to her, you must be knowing her taste which is why you should step up to help her t out with the wedding and other functions outfits. Especially, if it’s an Indian wedding, there would be multiple functions which means every function would require a different outfit. Make sure that before all these rituals start, the dresses of the bride are ready.
Drama Free Zone:
Wedding planning can definitely be a stressful process. Although different from PMSing but one thing is common your mind wanders into places you feel you don’t have control on. But when you have a good friend beside you as your support, there is nothing that you can’t handle. A helping hand from the bridesmaids is greatly appreciated during the stressful wedding planning process. It is not required to act erratically; simply be present, pay attention, and tell the bride that everything will be fine. Just be a good listener.
The Wedding Day:
The main day is here and you, as a bridesmaid have to make sure that everything is aligned. It’s like being there with the bride from each step. This includes being present for the bride throughout the day, from getting prepared in the morning (even if it means waking up at 2 a.m. to get your hair and makeup done), keeping the nervous butterflies at bay, and being present during the ceremony to handle last-minute things.
Main Day Preparations:
It makes sense for the bride and her bridesmaids to get ready together, thus the bridesmaids must arrive at the correct spot on time. This will not just help her with getting ready but she will also feel supported and balanced with the presence of her close ones. In addition the same, bridesmaids should make sure that every little thing is ready in its place. From tic tac pins, tissues, lipstick, powder puff, and safety pins to other needed things, that should be kept handy. Make sure to ask the DJ to play her favorite song when she steps into the venue. This will definitely help her to lift any stressful thoughts if she has any.
However, it is important for bridesmaids to remember that they have to get ready quite early before the bride so that they are able to look after other things and help out the bride in case if needed. We insist all the bridesmaid to get ready as soon as possible because they have to get ready properly for their best friend’s wedding, which is why to leave nothing behind dressing up before the bride is highly suggested. She may need last-minute assistance with suppliers when they arrive, or she may need to double-check seating plans and other last-minute details.
Collaborating with the Wedding Planners
It is important for the bridesmaids to proactively acquaint themselves with the wedding planner and the schedule of events. Prior to the festivities, the wedding planner will likely introduce themselves and their team to the significant friends and family members, and provide instructions at some point during the events. To ensure smooth functioning on the day of the wedding, it is crucial to cooperate with the Indian wedding planner, adhere to their schedule, and complete any tasks required by the bridesmaids.
Prepared for Photos:
It is important to ensure that the bride is all set and ready for the ceremony and post-ceremony photographs once everyone has finished getting ready. Professional wedding photographers like Shan Photography would definitely be ready to capture all the moments which is why it is important for the bride to be completely ready. A bridesmaid can take on the responsibility of holding onto essential items like touch-up lipstick, blotting papers, and the bride’s smartphone. Generally, the Indian wedding planner in Chicago will handle most of the important items such as rings, vows, and any shoe changes. Group photos are typically taken shortly before or after the wedding ceremony.
Taking Charge of the Joota Chupai Ceremony:
This point is exclusively for all Indian weddings. We all know how excited and curious people feel to know about what happened in this ceremony! For those who aren’t aware of this ceremony, here’s a brief information.
The bridesmaids playfully divert the groom’s attention from entering the venue, as they genuinely believe that marrying their dear friend is the best thing that has ever happened to him. Considering that marriage brings certain financial responsibilities, the bridesmaids ensure to receive their rightful share of “Shagun” as well. Additionally, according to South Asian tradition, the groom is required to remove his shoes upon reaching the mandap. This marks the beginning of the enjoyable ritual known as ‘Joota Chupai.’ The bridesmaids discreetly steal the groom’s shoes, hide them, and then ask for monetary exchange in return for the shoes, as the groom cannot leave the venue without them. All bridesmaids out there, we know you can hide the joota very well and get the best price for it!
Other “Girl Code” duties:
Follow-up with the Makeup and Hair Artists:
It goes without saying that as a bridesmaid, you must be the bride’s manager and keep a close eye on vital details such as why is the makeup and hair artists not yet present. Following up with the hair and makeup professionals and ensuring they arrive on time should be your primary responsibility on the wedding day! The bride herself cannot make sure about this as she will be already occupied with so many things which is why this is entirely on the bridesmaid. Moreover, you can actually talk to the makeup artists and make sure everything goes according to the plan.
If the bride got ready at a salon make sure to:
Check all the things that she brought with her are taken care of by you or someone trustworthy.
After the bride is done getting dressed in a salon, make sure you don’t leave anything important there before leaving for the wedding. Especially, if there were expensive jewelry carried make sure to have them in safe and trustworthy hands.
Take Care of Her Phone:
Almost no bride chooses to carry her phone to the stage or during the pheras. But she’ll most likely disappear somewhere in the midst of the D-day chaos. As a result, one bridesmaid should be tasked with keeping the bride’s phone with her. Along with taking care of her phone, make sure to answer any important call (if she’s okay with that), if she’s not available to answer the same.
Help her pee:
This is indeed one of the biggest concerns of the bride long before even she actually wears the dress. With a big bridal gown on, it’s quite self-explanatory that she can’t do it on her own! As a result, you should make sure she pees a few minutes before heading down the aisle or walking up to the stage.
Bridal Entrance Music:
This is definitely an important thing for brides of today’s time. Their Instagram stories would be incomplete without their videos of their favorite song when she enters the venue. Gone are the days when we just had one traditional song for the bride’s entrance. Every bride has a favorite song for the entrance! Make sure the DJ has that song and plays it as your BFF Bride walks in, rest the Indian Wedding Photographer Chicago is there to capture all the beautiful moments.
Keep a Bride Survival Kit Handy:
Mishaps are quite a common thing that takes place in functions. But what matters is how much we are prepared for it. Dear all the bridesmaids, make sure you have a survival kit ready with little to big things like headache medicine a broken jewelry hook to the setting bride’s drape, a bridal survival pack can handle it.
Is Her Makeup Still Fine?:
The makeup artist for the bride will do her work which is to do the makeup of the bride and her work is done after the bride leaves. But you as a bridesmaid, have to be that makeup touch-up artist throughout the wedding. Especially when she is on stage. It is a bridesmaid’s primary responsibility to serve as the bride’s personal mirror, ensuring that her cosmetics and hair are flawless at all times. Also, make sure the bride’s cosmetics aren’t smudged before she goes to the Pheras.
Her Cravings:
She can’t walk out of the room to have a mojito or eat sandwiches. Whatever she’s craving to have, you as a bridesmaid are going to be the one to take care of her hungry moments. Mostly, the main course is served after all the rituals are over, but there is no compulsion to wait until then, which is why it is important to keep providing food to the bride so that she doesn’t starve or feel hungry.
Stay Around During Pheras:
Carrying that heavy wedding lehenga is not easy. It is quite common that the bride to struggle with the lehenga that gets stuck sometimes. Make sure that you are sitting somewhere close to the mandap and help the bride with adjusting the lehnga in case it is needed.
Make sure her mehendi is dark:
Choosing a good mehendi (henna) artist is very important considering the importance of henna in Indian weddings. Make the lemon-sugar mixture for the bride’s mehendi and assist her in applying henna darkening tips for her bridal mehendi.
Post-Wedding Ritual Bag:
Prepare a nice bag for the bride that will contain all of the items she will need after her Vidaai. Put everything in that bag, from the outfit she’ll wear after taking off the lehenga to matching jewelry, basic makeup, her phone charger, and simple footwear.
To sum up, Indian bridesmaids have a lot of responsibilities! But we girls are born to pull off anything with a grace that happens to come into our life. Being the bridesmaid is an honor. They play an important role in the wedding, from assisting with wedding preparation and assisting the bride in getting dressed to attending all pre-wedding ceremonies and taking care of the guests. Also, make sure that you hire a professional Indian wedding planner who would do 90% of the wedding work and arrangements like decoration and other things. If you are looking for a professional Indian wedding planner in Chicago then you can definitely consider Forurevents
To know more, feel free to contact Forurevents. We would love to hear from you.