Are you a bridesmaid who is completely clueless about how to begin and from where?
Or are you a bride-to-be who is feeling stuck while preparing a checklist for your
bridesmaids? Think no more! We got your back! We have curated a condensed
checklist for bridesmaids that has the basic duties and essential roles for all the
future bridesmaids out there!
Our curation aims at shaping an idea about the basic roles and duties one must
perform regardless of the type of wedding or ceremony. Our suggestions are verified
by the top wedding photographers of South India. We hope you have an insightful
short read as we break down the duties one by one! Grab a snack and let’s get started!!
1) The Planning Team
Wedding planning can be quite hectic especially when you start taking baby steps.
From location hunts to figuring out the best baker in town, bridesmaids have a lot of
background tasks to run! Evidently, the main duty to of a bridesmaid is to
understand what the bride dreams of before finalizing the reservations and bookings.
Added to that, the team shall plan and create a calendar to not miss any important
tasks. Keeping a calendar ready always proves to be the mandatory first step to
planning the big day. Followed by which, the bookings for caterers, hotels, make-up
artists, event planners etc shall be taken care of.
2) Squad for Dress Hunts
Indian weddings have an array of pre and post-wedding festivities along with
extended wedding day rituals. Hence, it is very important to begin the dress hunts for
all the events as early as possible. Clearly, traditional Hindu weddings tend to have a
minimum of 4-day celebrations and ceremonial events.
The wedding dress hunt is one of the most exciting as well as stressful parts of the
planning. Though the fitting sessions have become online amidst the covid pandemic,
it is very important to cautiously follow the guidelines mentioned by the designers for
avoiding last-minute mishaps! Curating the bridal jewels is the next big step.
3) Bridal Shower and Bachelorette
The bridal shower is one of the much-awaited moments before the celebrations begin.
It is a sweet festive event by the bride-squad to shower the bride with blessings and
gifts. And, the party is often informal with fun game segments and activities.
Bachelorette party ideas for brides is a much more fun version of the bridal shower
that is held on the final days of the bride as a bachelor.
To point out, the event would mostly consist of close friends and family who plan
interesting tasks and challenges for the bride to celebrate her bachelor moments. P
re-planning and coordinating these two main events are carried out by the
bride-squad with so much enthusiasm and energy!
4) Pre Wedding Festivities
Haldi and Mehendi parties and the Sangeeth ceremony followed by pooja and rasams
of the respective religion are the most common pre-wedding events in Indian
weddings. While Haldi and Mehendi parties are mostly closed family events, Sangeeth c
eremony feels more lively and peppy with dance numbers and grand
gestures. From preparing the ayurvedic Haldi paste to fixing the best Mehendi artists
in town, pre-wedding preps can be quite stressful.
The bride-squad shall also rehearse and learn their Sangeeth night performances in the
meantime while fulfilling the rest of the duties. Most importantly, the pooja essentials
and rasam requirements shall also be taken care of along with handling the party
events.
5) Vanity Partner
Once the pre-wedding rush is settled, the preps for the big day begin. Beginning with
the vanity moments, getting ready together is something so soothing and relaxing to
ease the anxiety. To be precise, the bride-squad may accompany the bride to all her
makeovers if preferred by the bride to make it more fun even when the team is not
getting ready together.
Sitting along the process and chitchatting in the twinning robes is the perfect energy
boost one may need to kick start their wedding day. Added to that, the team may also
pose for photos, if the vanity moments are documented in full swing!
6) Event Coordination
Ensuring the bridesmaids team is ready with their coordinated outfits ( if planned so)
with their added accessories and bouquets is one of the first duties to perform after the
vanity moments. Followed by which, getting the flower girls ready and reaching the
venue for a final check on the decor and caterers shall be done.
Evidently, one must be clear about the order of the ceremonial rituals to avoid
confusion during the day. Indian weddings also have more than one dress change on
the same day. Hence, the scheduled wardrobe timings are to be followed with all the
requirements.
7) Bridal Entry
The bridal and groom entry is something that has been evolving over the past few
decades. From minimal, ritualistic bridal entries of the early 2000s to grand entry
dances and band performances of the 2020s, the trends are getting constantly reversed.
As per the current trends, the bride is surrounded by her besties and bridesmaids
holding floral frames and goodey baskets.
It indeed is considered as an act of love and respect. Added to that, the rush of
positive energy ring from this formation easily increases the confidence of the bride
as she walks down the aisle. Keeping the processional team ready and arranged in the
respective order before the big entry is something to be noted beforehand.
8) Winding Up
Upon the completion of formal events, the bride-squad may interact and ensure the
comfort of the guests as they enjoy the dinner. It is a part of the duties to also look out
for both the families along with supporting the bride throughout the post-function
photoshoots. To highlight, the squad may function in full spirit till the very last guest
leaves the venue. And, one must actively participate in all the formal as well as
informal events of the day.
Most importantly, the farewell shall be attended by gathering all the members of the
bridesmaids team. Once the events are concluded, the team shall make sure to
coordinate and clear the venue from all the remainings of the event.
Being a loyal bridesmaid is never an easy job that is limited to just fulfilling the
bride’s requirements on the wedding day. It’s an all in all responsibility where a lot of
coordination and teamwork is required. From the very first stage of the preps to
bidding farewell to the bride and post-wedding rituals, it’s a very active role that
requires dedication and commitment.
Being explained the intensity and importance of this role, we have so much respect
for each and every one of you, who are fully engrossed in their bridesmaid duties! We
hope you had a relaxing read, as we summarises the checklist for all the future
bridesmaids out there!!