Acceptable & Unacceptable Tasks to Ask of Your Bridesmaids

If your partner has proposed to you, congratulations.We'll tell you a little secret: if you want to enjoy your engagement, you don't have to start planning your wedding right away.Now, the most important thing is to enjoy the moment, share your news with your loved ones, and take a nice ring selfie.But if you are eager to invite your girls to be your bridesmaids, then let’s do it.

There's no doubt that the girls you choose to attend your wedding party will be there to help you, support you and cheer you on before, during and after your wedding.But how do you know exactly what's appropriate to ask them?Sure, they're your best friends, but you don't want them to feel used or pressured.Here are some common questions bridesmaids often have to deal with and how to tell if you're in need of help.

DO:

• Ask your girls to be there for the wedding and rehearsal dinner.
• Lean on your maid of honor for the following tasks: coordinating the bridal shower and bachelorette party, scheduling the dress fittings, addressing wedding invitations, keeping track of gifts at the shower and other organizational tasks.
• Have each bridesmaid fund their own dress, shoes, makeup, manicure/pedicure and hair styles for the big day. Whether you pick out the dress or they do, it’s traditional for each girl to fund their own outfit.
• Ask them for emotional support. While the wedding planning process is quite exciting and fun, there are times where it can get a bit stressful, and this when you can turn to your best friends for some support in order to get through it.

DON’T:

• Ask them to attend every little event of the wedding planning process like picking out flowers, meeting with your baker and visiting your photographer. While these are important tasks, they are ones you can tackle yourself. Of course if you need their opinion, they’re always there for that.
• Require them to fund unnecessary beauty treatments like spray tans, professional makeup application, etc., unless you’re the one who will be taking care of the bill in the end.
• Ignore budget concerns. Not every bridesmaid is going to be able to afford that Vera Wang dress you’ve had your eye on for months. Unless you plan on paying for the dress yourself or splitting the bill, it’s your responsibility as the bride to come up with a solution that works for everyone, rather than putting them in financial hot water for one dress.