Being in a wedding is a crazy, fun, and overwhelming experience that can teach you a lot about people. There are so many events and details all leading up to the big day, and making sure everything gets done is key to ensuring the bride is able to enjoy her special day.
This past August I was a bridesmaid for the first time in my life when my cousin got to marry her love of nine years. Now another cousin of mine was just engaged and it inspired me to share my experience of being a bridesmaid. The good, the bad, and the emotional. Here's a list of 5 things I learned from being a bridesmaid.
1. There will be SO. MUCH. CRYING.
I will admit that I am a very emotional person, and I cry at sad commercials, but weddings are so different. You literally get to watch two people, who are madly in love, be able to profess their love and make it completely official in the eyes of the Lord. Woah.
It's an even more emotional experience when you stress over the details of the wedding, and you're nervous the entire night before, and then you finally get to see it all together. The bride in her dress. The groom waiting at the altar for her. It's impossible to be standing up at the altar with the bride and groom and not shed a tear (or two!)
2. No wedding is perfect, but that's okay.
No matter how much you prepare for the wedding day, it's impossible for everything to go perfectly. The morning of my cousin's wedding one of the other bridesmaids burned her arm steaming our dresses, but it all worked out in the end. As a bridesmaid, your job is to make sure that to the bride everything seems okay, and that's exactly what we did! As long as the bride is healthy, happy, and the groom will be there when she's ready to walk down the aisle, then everything is perfect. Don't sweat the small stuff!
3. The day will FLY by.
You put so much time and energy (and money) into this wedding and before you know it, it's 11 pm and you're cleaning up the party house, and preparing to head home. Between getting ready, the ceremony, wedding photos, and the actual reception, there is no time for a break or to even look at the clock. But don't worry, time flies because you're having fun too, especially when you dance your heart out at the reception, which leads to...
4. You get to dance the night away!
Of course, everyone at the wedding, not just the wedding party, gets to dance, but as a bridesmaid this is your chance to just let loose and not worry about wedding details, at least for a little while. The bridesmaid dress, whether you love it or not (which luckily I did!) gives you a certain authority to dance like a fool without judgment. You earned that, so live it up!
5. It's one of the greatest experiences ever.
Being chosen to be by someone's side on their wedding day is such an honor, and every bit of stress is worth it. It means that they think you're so important to them that they want you to be part of their special day. Most people only have one wedding day, and helping to make it extra special is a really cool thing to experience. If you're a bridesmaid, don't forget to take a deep breath and enjoy the magic of love. It's a really amazing thing.
