all things girl: always the bridesmaid, someday the bride?

I know what you're probably thinking. ANOTHER blog post about being single? Negative, ghost rider. I will spare you.

Today's post is for all of you engaged (or soon-to-be engaged) girls out there with a difficult task. Choosing the bridesmaids. I like to think that I'm pretty knowledgable on this topic. Seeing as I've been in 12 weddings in my lifetime. [3 flower girls, 2 wedding singers, 1 maid of honor, 5 bridesmaids and 1 house party] In other words... I've experienced more weddings in my lifetime than I have boyfriends.

Back to my point. Picking bridesmaids can be a difficult task. Having to pick and choose between your millions of best friends? Or maybe it's not that hard. Just choosing your few close friends.

Bless the women with a few good friends;

for they don't have to pick and choose their bridesmaids.

Now before you get all judgmental on me, this is NOT, I repeat, NOT me trying to tell my friends "Pick me! Pick me!" I'm not that desperate. I just really like weddings and all that goes along with them. So take that how you want.

Now... remember when picking bridesmaids, only pick those who feel like you couldn't go without on your big day. Even if it leaves you with one or 11. You will know who these special girls are when you start the planning process and you start picturing walking down that aisle. You see your soon-to-be husband at the end of the aisle. Then you see those amazing girls on the other side. All smiling back at you with tears in their eyes. [or no tears. I realize some girls just aren't as sensitive as me.] Regardless, you know they are genuinely happy for you. Choose those girls.

Don't choose a bridesmaid just because you feel bad for NOT choosing them. If you don't feel as if they would do whatever you need, whenever you need, then don't pick them. This is your day. It is your decision.

Budget is one thing to keep in mind while choosing bridesmaids. Only pick as many bridesmaids as you can afford [since you give each bridesmaid a gift.] Also remember that usually you will have an equal amount of groomsmen and you will have to get them a gift as well.

One popular question: house party or no house party? Some things to keep in mind: are you choosing these girls because you really want them to be apart of your big day? or are you just asking them because you didn't have room for them as a bridesmaid and you would "feel bad" if you didn't ask them to do anything? Can you afford a house party? Because like the bridesmaids, you will buy gifts for the house party as well. A lot of girls choose to have a house party because they simply don't have room to fit every single girl in their whole bridal party, for there are just not enough groomsmen. And that is perfectly ok! If there's a girl you are friends with, not super close with, but you know that not having them participate just wouldn't feel right, ask them!

Personally I think being in the house party is super fun. You get to participate in all of the fun wedding activities, the bachelorette party and not have all the responsibility of a bridesmaid! You also usually get to pick the dress you wear, which could be less expensive than having to buy a new bridesmaid's dress [that in some situations, you'd never wear again. I'd like to take this opportunity to say that I got lucky with most of my bridesmaids dresses! I could definitely wear some of them again.]

Once you have chosen your liter of besties, get creative! Creative? Yes! Think of cute and different ways to ask them to be a part of your big day! Whatever you do, just make it special and let your bridesmaids know what an honor it would be to have them be part of your special day!

I can't wait for the day I get to share with all of my best friends and family. I won't say "always the bridesmaid, never the bride." Because I know my day will be here one day. So for now, we'll stick with

"Always the bridesmaid, someday the bride."

I will now leave you with a few of my favorite wedding pictures:
[every wedding I've been a part of was VERY special. But some of them I just don't have pictures of on this computer]