More often than not, bridesmaids are incredible. They listen to all your wedding woes, turn up for endless shopping trips, and even hold the layers of your chiffon dress when you pee.
The one who hates her dress...
But what about the bridesmaids who aren’t so helpful?
Bridesmaidzillas are on the rise, and they’re causing brides a lot of stress.
You only need to type ‘my bridesmaid is’ into a search engine and you’ll see the most common dilemmas brides are facing. Hen and stag do organisers Red7 did just that to uncover the biggest problems brides are having with their bride tribe.
But fear not, because they’ve also given us their ten top tips to deal with every type of bridesmaidzilla.
The one who is taking over
This bridesmaid is probably just trying to be helpful. But in the process, she’s chosen your colour scheme, food menu and wedding band.
Give this bridesmaid a specific task to do, like pick up the flowers from the florist. She’ll feel valued and helpful without having a chance to make any decisions.
The one who always flakes
We all have that friend who promises to be somewhere then, last minute, you get a phone call saying, ‘I can’t come out *cough cough* I’m sick’.
While it is frustrating when your bridesmaid doesn’t turn up to wedding planning appointments, sometimes life just gets in the way. Try to make it as easy as possible for her to come – ask when she’s free and be understanding about her other commitments.
The one who hates her dress
When you have 3 bridesmaids it’s impossible to please everyone with your choice of dress. If your bridesmaid throws a tantrum in the middle of the dress shop though, it can be a real issue.
The best thing to do in this situation is to talk it through. Does she feel insecure about something? Is there a style she would feel more comfortable in? Try and be lenient because you want her to feel confident on your big day.
The one who criticises all your choices
This bridesmaid is likely to be a newlywed herself. All her comments start with ‘At my wedding we did it this way…’.
You never know, this bridesmaidzilla might give you a useful tip or two. But just ignore her and she’ll give up eventually.
The one who doesn’t have any money
This bridesmaid has complained about the cost of the hen, dress and make-up. After all, weddings can be expensive.
It’s a harsh truth, but your bridesmaids really shouldn’t have to go bankrupt for your wedding. Don’t pick the most expensive shoes in the shop. Do subsidise things when you can.
The one who won’t join in
Whenever you talk about preparations and planning, this bridesmaid is totally uninterested. It might be because she’s a first-timer and has no clue about bridesmaid-etiquette.
Just give her a gentle nudge and say things like ‘all the other bridesmaids are coming to this dress fitting, will you be there?’ She probably didn’t realise that she needs to help out with the planning, but she’ll learn.
The one who is stealing the show
It’s your big day and all eyes should be on you. So what do you do when your bridesmaid tries to upstage you with her flamboyant new pink hair do?
Unless you have a bottle of brunette hair dye in your clutch there’s not a lot you can do. It’s probably best to ignore her behaviour and focus on your wedding, no one will notice her when you walk down the aisle looking happy and confident.
The one you didn’t ask to be bridesmaid
Auntie Sarah’s best friend’s daughter feels left out - you need to add her to your line-up of bridesmaids, even though you’ve met her once.
You don’t have to include everyone in your bride tribe. Just politely explain you’re keeping it to close friends only. And when they’re sipping champagne and dancing to Ed Sheeran, they’ll forget all about not being a bridesmaid.
The one who had too much to drink
This is the bridesmaid that’s falling over her dress, flirting with the Best Man’s dad, or throwing up in the decorative vases.
This shouldn’t make you angry, she’s just enjoying your wedding! Make sure she gets some water and ask someone to put her to bed. Anyway, you totally have the right to embarrass her with drunk stories for the rest of her life
The one you want to fire
Whatever this bridesmaid has done, it’s so serious that you want to fire her.
Please, please be rational. Your wedding is one day in what has probably been many years of friendship and that’s not worth losing over an argument about napkins.
But if she gets engaged at your wedding? Well, that’s a different story…
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