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The Ultimate Guide to Bridesmaid Duties

Bride with Bridesmaids

Being chosen to carry out Bridesmaid Duties is a significant honour. You’ve been hand-selected by the bride to be one of her most trusted ladies on the day of her wedding and that’s something to feel very proud of.

But what exactly comes along with the Bridesmaid Duties? Luckily for you, we’ve compiled a list of duties that the best bridesmaids adhere to to ensure they do a great job. So, buckle up because here it is!

The Ultimate Bridesmaid Duties' List

1. Help with the Hen Party Plans

The maid of honour is just one woman. Help her out with the hen party planning by offering ideas and suggesting places to go to. The Hen Party is the real saving grace in the middle of all of the wedding plans. It's a chance for you, the bride-to-be and the rest of her ladies to celebrate her upcoming wedding and forget about all the planning. It's important to make sure that the bride-to-be just unwinds from everything else wedding and lives in the moment! One of the most important things to remember is to enjoy the whole experience. This is a big moment in your friends' life so take it all in. Be a support to her all the way and of course, carry out your Bridesmaid Duties List to the best of your ability! Alternatively, check out our piece on Maid of Honour Duties for more top tips to support the maid of honour!

2. Offer Any Help that You Can

Be as helpful as possible with anything that comes up. Keep checking in with the bride and groom to ensure everything is going well and see if they need a hand with any of the many little things that come with the wedding planning. When you become a bridesmaid, you are signing on to be at the bride's beck and call for everything weddings until her big day. This pretty much guarantees a few unfavourable jobs. You will probably be left with the jobs that the bride doesn't want to do herself. Jobs like contacting all those people who don't RSVP in time are a big obstacle that every couple will face! This can be a nightmare, and we guarantee that there will be loads of people like this, it just comes with the territory.

3. Be Available for All Dress Fittings

The dresses can be a nightmare when it comes to ordering the right sizes, due to the numerous challenges involved. These challenges include but are unfortunately not limited to the following; the delivery time, the necessity of alterations, and ensuring the proper fit. Therefore, it's crucial to be available when needed for fittings to address any issues that may arise and ensure the dresses are perfect for this special occasion!

4. Be Supportive of the Bride

"What the Bride Says Goes", is one of the most important things to remember when you are a bridesmaid lady. Of course, the bride-to-be will have a few ridiculous demands along the way but where possible say yes! Guaranteed she will be under a lot of stress already so by simply taking a little weight off her shoulders you will be doing your job perfectly! This doesn't mean that you shouldn't give your opinion ladies, just don't add any extra stress!

One of the key Bridesmaid Duties is to be there for the bride. Be supportive and encouraging while you make her feel as comfortable as possible. Wedding planning can be pretty stressful; sometimes she will need her girls by her side

5. Sort the Pre-Wedding Pampering Sessions

Being a bridesmaid can be very expensive. From accommodation for the wedding, the hen party weekend, spending money, a gift, travel costs and sometimes the bridesmaid dress things add up. This is something that generally can't be helped, just be sure to keep this in mind leading up to the big day! The nails, makeup, tans, waxes and facials all need to be booked well in advance of the wedding to ensure availability so help the bride with planning those out.

6. Help the Bride get into the Dress

Wedding dresses aren’t the easiest things to get into so the bride might need a helping hand on the morning of the wedding to get into her dress. The bride's dress must be protected at all costs! This means that she will need some assistance while peeing with her wedding dress on. This isn't as bad as it sounds ladies! Chances are all of you've made plenty of trips to the bathroom together on nights out so this is just a little twist on that!

7. Help the Bride get Around

Not only are wedding dresses awkward to get in and out of, but they can also be awkward to get around in. Simple things like getting in and out of cars or even going up steps can be a task in a wedding dress so help her out where you can.

8. Carry Emergency Makeup and Accessories

This one will not only help the bride but will help you too. Ladies, we all need a top-up now and then, and on the wedding day, which is a long day, you could be a lifesaver for the bride when you come to her rescue with a makeup touch-up.

9. Prepare for a Few Happy Tears

If one of the people you are closest to in the world is getting married, you're bound to be delighted. So it goes to show that a few happy tears are part and parcel of being a bridesmaid. Even the toughest of the tough will get a little emotional on the bride's big day (even if it's just with joy that all the planning is finally over) so be sure to pack the tissues!

Follow these simple tips and you will tick all the boxes on your Bridesmaid Duties List!! Furthermore, if you are looking for a fresh, vibrant hen party experience Hen Party is a must! With so much on offer and great rates, what's not to love? Contact us for more information about our Hen Party Packages, like our Cork City Hen Package, you can’t go wrong by checking out the Rebel City! Often considered the real capital, Cork is one of the top hen party destinations in Ireland. You can visit the English Market, take a boat ride down the River Lee, or dine at some of the best restaurants in the country.











Kate Hyde
Kate Hyde
Kate, originally from Cork, founded HenParty.ie in 2008 in her spare bedroom in Waterford. Since then, the company has grown to 6 websites in our group across 4 countries. Kate is an expert on hen party and stag party planning and organisation and is even the author of a book on the topic - “How to Hen Party - the Essential Guide” (Currach Press).
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