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Tips to help you choose your Maid of Honor

via Wikipedia Commons

Some brides do not have to think twice about who is to be their Maid of Honor. For others, it is a difficult task, choosing between their favorite girls.

The Maid of Honor is not just a position of pride, it is also one of responsibility. The success of your wedding depends to a great extent on who you choose for the task. If there is more than one contender for the role, make sure you think it over and assign the position to the person who is best fit to handle the responsibilities that come with it.

What are her responsibilities?

Your Maid of Honor is the captain of your bridesmaids group. She will be hosting your bachelorette party as well as your bridal shower, and helping you with all your wedding day decisions. She should be with you throughout the wedding ceremony, be capable of handling wedding emergencies and take charge of your wedding dress soon after you change out of it.

This requires her to be efficient, organized and available. One important factor is that you should feel close to her, be free to discuss your decisions or concerns and share similar taste. So, the right choice would be someone who is neither overbearing, nor too shy. Your best friend or perhaps favorite cousin or sister would be the best candidate for the role, if they fit these requirements.

Choose supportive and practical over stubborn and dramatic

Wedding planning is stress-laden as it is, and you need all the support you can get. Your Maid of Honor should be able to handle her responsibilities without making a big deal of it, or worrying you over every detail. She should be capable of working with minimum supervision, co-ordinate the bridesmaids without difficulty and not add to your stress levels by worrying you with unnecessary details.

Someone who understands your likes and dislikes, and knows your taste would be a better choice than an irresponsible and dramatic friend who seems incapable of handling the job without your help at every step.

Pay attention to personal situations when choosing the person

Being sensitive to your dear friend’s situation will help you make a decision that is both sensible and well-intended. If the person you’ve always considered for your maid of honor has just had a baby, or is going through a financial crisis, don’t burden her further by thrusting this role on her. Or if you feel that she still ought to fill the position, make sure you check with her first and confirm she is interested in being your maid of honor, rather than assuming it on her behalf.

What if you can’t make up your mind between two women?

For those ladies who are unable to decide between two best friends who are equally close to you and capable too, you have two options. Either ask them how they feel about being co-maids of honor, or leave the decision to them. This way, you can take the pressure off yourself, while also feeling good about your choice.

For more wedding tips, advice and all your wedding shopping needs, visit us on Best for Bride.

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3 tips to help you choose bridesmaids dresses that your girls will want to wear again

In the past, bridesmaids dresses were notoriously hideous and weird. With the popular designs resembling cotton candy or plastic raincoats, it was no wonder these dresses were banished to a far end of the closet soon after serving its purpose. Fortunately, the options in bridesmaids dresses are much better today.

As the bride, it is your call to decide what kind of dresses your bridesmaids will wear. While your ultimate aim should be to create a cohesive effect that ties with your wedding palette, you can still make allowances so your favorite girls do not look or feel awkward in what you choose. With a little thought, your bridesmaids may even consider wearing this dress on another occasion, which means the money spent on it goes further. Let us look at how you can accomplish this.

1. Go with neutral colors

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Rather than choose bridesmaids dresses in shades they may not be able to pull off anywhere else, choose neutrals. If your maid of honor tells you that she isn’t a fan of the strawberry ice that you are obsessed with, you should perhaps consider a more flattering tone from the same color family.

Limit the colors in the wedding palette to the rest of the décor, while you choose neutrals for the dresses, and it is likely they will be able to use it again. If you still want that pop of color in what they wear, try adding it to their bouquets, or with accessories like shoes and belts.

2. Choose a neutral style

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The typical bridesmaids dress design is a strapless knee-length gown. If the dress is also in a vivid color, there is little use for it later on. Think outside the wedding, look at popular styles for not just bridesmaids, and base your choice accordingly.

A scoop or V-neckline is universally flattering, and it will also be perfect for other events. Also pay attention to the silhouette. An A-line dress will fall gently, look great on most body shapes, and your girls wouldn’t mind wearing it again.

3. Go with the mismatched trend and allow them to select their dress based on your guidelines

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Gone are the days when all the bridesmaids dressed to be boring look-alike’s. The current trend is to mix and match bridesmaids dresses in various styles, designs and colors, and bring them all together with one or two unifying factors. This could be the color, dress length or design.

So, you get to pick these factors and inform your girl friends of your choice.Then, let them find dresses that meet your specifications, but also appeals to them. Pick a color family and allow them to choose the shade that looks best on them, or choose a dress pattern and allow them to pick different colors in the same design. Another option is to fix a specific color and allow them the freedom to choose any dress in this color.

With mismatched bridesmaids dresses, the group looks dynamic and energetic, and you will also find your bridesmaids looking happy in their choice. Visit Best for Bride to find inspiration and choose from hundreds of wonderful Bridesmaids dresses that your favorite girlfriends will love to wear again and again.

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Most Popular Bridesmaid Trends

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Choosing your bridesmaids is important when planning your wedding and there are always trends that have been set in place by other women who are getting married this time of year. Whether you have a handful of women who will be sharing the stage with you or a dozen, you want your special day to be filled with the people that you love and who have brought joy to your life.

Asking for their Devotion

One of the biggest trends that are currently being found in the wedding industry is the exact way that women are requesting their friends to be their bridesmaid or maid of honor. Coming up with fun ways to ‘pop the question’ can add some excitement and laughs to your wedding planning. Don’t be afraid to be creative when you are planning your wedding; you might just find that some of the stress is eliminated when you add a little fun to the process as well.

Choosing the Dress

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Another trend that is on the rise comes in the way of the bridesmaid dresses themselves. For starters, many designers are now designing dresses that have a shorter hemline. While traditionally, bridesmaid dresses were designed as long flowing dresses, designers are now starting to go with shorter, flirty versions. This can be a benefit because your girls are more likely to wear them again in the future.

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Color is also something that has changed about bridesmaid dresses. Instead of the soft colors of the past, you can now find brightly colored versions that are a little more exciting than the traditional colors that we are accustomed to. When you are choosing your wedding colors, you can now be brave enough to choose your favorite color, regardless of how bright or non-traditional it might be.

Planning the Party

When it comes to your bridesmaids planning you bachelorette party, a new trend is combining the bachelor and bachelorette party into one huge event. Rather than splitting out the two parties, many couples are now choosing to plan them together.

One fun thing that many bridal parties have started doing when it comes to the parties is to start out on a separate venture and finding their way to a joint location by the end of the night. This can be a fun way to celebrate the pending union together while still having some alone time with your best friends.

Conclusion

Your bridesmaids are some of the most important members of the wedding party. They are likely to be the people you feel the closest to and will be there to help you through all the milestones of getting ready for your big day.

There are many roles that your bridesmaids play and it pays to have a fun time when experiencing new things with them. Whether you are choosing your wedding gown or spending time together at your bridal party, you are sure to have a blast as you prepare and celebrate your big day. By trying out some of the trends that are currently popular, you will be able to enjoy the time you spend with them even more.

Best for Bride

Best for Bride offers a wide range of bridesmaid gowns and gifts that can help make the special members of your wedding party feel loved and appreciated. From choosing the dresses to finding the perfect pair of shoes, you will be able to find everything that you need at one of the four Best for Bride locations.

 

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Tips On Choosing Bridesmaid Gifts

Bridal Gift necklace

Although you don’t have to give your bridesmaids any gifts, many brides opt to give them small tokens of their gratitude for helping plan the wedding, being troopers and wearing the chosen dresses and just participating in their magical day. But many brides are at a loss as to what kind of gift they should surprise their bridesmaids with, so here are some tips on how what makes the perfect gift!

How Much To Spend?

Personalized necklaces from Etsy
Personalized necklaces from Etsy

Really, it’s totally up to you and whatever can fit into your budget. These gifts are to show your appreciation and gratitude and don’t have to be extravagant or expensive. Your bridesmaids aren’t expecting anything, so even a small gift will make them smile. Some sites like the Knot say that you should consider how much you’re asking them to spend for your wedding (bridesmaid dress, shoes, makeup, hair, etc.) and then base your gift on something that is comparable to that amount. But in reality, you’re probably already spending a lot of money and your budget can’t really fit in an additional $75 per bridesmaid (especially if you have a large bridal party).

Be Thoughtful

Bridal tumblers from Etsy
Bridal tumblers from Etsy

Instead of buying lavish gifts, think about getting them things that they’ll be able to use everyday. Makeup bags with their initials on them, blinged-out coffee cups, a jewelry box engraved with their name, etc. Taking the time to really choose a great bridal gift will go a long way with your bridesmaids. And to go step further, maybe buy each bridesmaid a different gift tailored to their own personal likings? This will show them how much time and effort you put into their gift and they’ll really love you for that.

Would You Want It?

Wine glasses from Etsy
Wine glasses from Etsy

Always ask yourself if you’d want the gift to gauge if your bridesmaids will want it too. You don’t want to choose something that is super cute, but won’t be used by them. Again, think practical gifts like monogrammed keychains, tumblers and other things that can be used over and over again. There are lots of bridal gift sites where you can order multiple gifts and have them personalized. Just do a quick Google search and you’ll get numerous results.

Best for Bride is a one-stop bridal shop that has everything a bride needs to make her big day perfect! From dresses to shoes, invitations to cakes, this bridal shop is the only place you ever need to go to plan your special day.