The Perks of Being a Bridesmaid

Ever since graduating college, I've gone to my fair share of weddings. It's one of the side effects of going to a small Lutheran university. Everyone gets married right away. However, I've only actually been in a few of these weddings. Two to be exact. However, most of the weddings I've attended I have somehow always ended up being the "helper girl." Getting tables set up, organizing programs, running the guest book, steaming the dress, running errands for the bridal party while they are getting ready, etc.

I feel as though most of the time, being a bridesmaid, or going to weddings in general, get a bad rap. Thank you 27 Dresses and Bridesmaids.

Thankfully, I've never had to do this.

Although it's understandable why some people hate weddings and being in weddings. You might not like the dress you can't afford, the music isn't always great, cheesy games and traditions, bridezillas, having to find a date, etc. I understand the pain!

However, I am now officially in my third wedding this year. My sister is getting married in September and as maid of honor, I feel as though we need to see the other side of the story.

I present to you, the perks of being a bridesmaid.

You don't have to pick out a dress to wear. 
Yes, the bride picks your dress. Usually. (Once I got to pick my own and it was fabulous!) No, you might not be able to afford it. However, depending on the bride they will still put your feelings into consideration and wants to be sure everyone looks good. You also don't have to stand in front of your closet or go from store to store trying to find something to wear.

You have an automatic group of people to hang out with.
Most of the weddings I have gone to are college friends, so it's like a school reunion. However, there have been times when I haven't known anyone at the wedding. Just this past year I went to a friends wedding and I literally didn't know a single person there. I sat alone in a pew at the church and when I got to the reception there wasn't a seating chart. Therefore, I had to wander around looking for someone nice enough to let a stranger sit with them. It was like being a freshman on the first day of high school looking for a table in the cafeteria all over again.

When you are in the bridal party - you don't have to have that sort of experience! You know where you're sitting! You know who you're hanging out with! It's like sitting at the plastics table. You're with the cool kids. People know who you are (or at least know you're important). Heck, some people might even want to be you.

Your social calendar fills up quickly.
Between showers, bachelorette parties, get-togethers with the other bridesmaids, fittings, and helping the bride with plans, your calendar will fill up in no time!

Sometimes, you actually have a say in what happens at the wedding.
Now, ultimately it is up to the bride and groom (sometimes) what happens at the wedding. However, if you have a bride who really wants help and other opinions, who is she going to go to? Her bridesmaids of course! I've been able to give my opinion to my sister on several things about her upcoming wedding, and my friend Julie wished I was up in Chicago when she got married so I could have helped with the planning more. What other guest gets to have that privilege? NONE.

You also can help with other things like the shower and the bachelorette party. Don't like some of the games people usually play at showers? You can actually share your opinion and plan what you will be doing! Have a great idea for what to do for the bride for her last night of single girl freedom? You can do it!

You get to spend time with the bride.
Seriously. Some of the weddings I've just attended and not been in or helped with, I hardly see the bride and groom. They come and greet me for a few minutes here and there, but nothing significant. When you are in the bridal party, you can actually hang out with the bride and groom on their special day. When I was in my friend Stacey's wedding, our hotel room (my friends and I) was right across the hall from hers. She even stopped by the morning after to hang out for a bit. That never would have happened if we weren't bridesmaids. When my friend Julie got married, I loved being able to be in the limo with her to help her calm down before the ceremony and to be one of the first to see her in her dress. It was just so much fun to be there with them through everything from start to finish.

It's an excuse to get pampered and dressed up.
I don't know about you, but I love to dress up in a pretty dress and go all out. When Julie got married we didn't all get ready together, but my sister and I took the opportunity to go out and get manis and pedis the morning of. When my friend Bri got married, I wasn't in the wedding, but they did invite me to go with them to the nail salon to get my nails done too. At Stacey's wedding, she had professionals come to the hotel and we all got ready in the room together and had people do our hair and makeup. Then, most of the time, when you are getting ready you'll have a ton of finger food and drinks to munch on until the reception. At Stacey's wedding, we drank mimosas all morning.

Which brings me to my next point.

Alcohol.
Hello! A lot of weddings have open bars! Or as I said before, at Stacey's wedding we drank mimosas all day. It was fabulous.

The gift.
Most brides give their bridesmaids a gift for being in their wedding and a lot of them want those in the party to feel special. Because they/you are special! The gifts I've been given for being a bridesmaid have always been wonderful and things I actually enjoy and use.

It shows you are important to them.
Think about it. The bride wants YOU there at her wedding. She wants YOU to be there by her side through it all. I mean, even if you aren't the type of girl who daydreams about her wedding all of the time, most of us have at least thought about who we would want as bridesmaids if that day does come someday. Who do you want to be there?

They are the people you're closest to, right? I don't know about you, but when I'm asked to be in a wedding or to help out in some day, I feel special. I feel loved. It's awesome to be able to be there with my friend (or family member) to help them and be by their side on one of the most special days of their lives.

So enjoy it. Put on that overly expensive dress you'll probably never wear again. Deal with yet another cheesy wedding shower game. Then drink your mimosa, put on your dancing shoes, and have fun with it!

Have you all been in weddings? What are some of the perks you've had?