Keeping everyone happy when planning a wedding can be a tall order and the bride may be tempted to just please herself - after all it is her big day. However, making sure that the bridesmaids are happy during the wedding preparations as well as on the wedding day itself pays dividends.
Whatever the wedding budget, a bride’s vision of wedding perfection is not always shared by her friends and relatives. Liz Hurley famously fell out with her new in-laws on her wedding day in Mumbai earlier this year by not fully respecting their Hindu traditions. Actually, of all the people to keep happy, bridesmaids should be at the top of the bride’s list as they’re the ones who help keep her sane throughout the wedding preparations as well as stress-free on the big day. Involving the bridesmaids in the choice of bridesmaid dresses and wedding accessories is one sure way to keep them onside.
Lord Alfred Tennyson wisely decreed, “A happy bridesmaid makes a happy bride” and hopefully at the end of the day the bridesmaids remain friends for life. However, the bride has the potentially controversial task of choosing who should be bridesmaids, deciding what they should wear to complement her own wedding dress and finally agreeing who should pay for the bridesmaid dresses, shoes and accessories.
There are no hard and fast rules these days about how many bridesmaids there should be at a wedding – a guideline is one per 50 guests but it’s really up to the bride. Where there are young bridesmaids or flowergirls, it’s always advisable to put them under the wing of an older bridesmaid. Above all, the bride should choose bridesmaids who she can rely on to provide moral support during the wedding planning and on the wedding day.
Dressing bridesmaids in identical bridesmaid dresses can be a bone of contention as the bridesmaids are most likely to be differing ages, sizes and body shapes. It’s cute to see younger bridesmaids dressed alike but for older bridesmaids, individuality can be introduced through varying dress styles, fabric colours, bouquets, shoes and accessories. Whoever is paying for the bridesmaid dresses and accessories, and anything goes these days, the bridesmaids’ wishes should be respected. Importantly, they need to feel relaxed and comfortable. Also, if the bridesmaids are expected to foot the bill this should be made clear from the start and budgets agreed.
henrykaye.co.uk offers an extensive range of affordable bridesmaid dresses for babies, toddler and children up to 9 years old as well as bridesmaid shoes and accessories for babies through to adults.
