Fall has officially appeared and so has wedding season. When all the beautiful brides will be walking down the aisle to say I do. It’s an exciting season and most often, you’re sitting in the aisle wishing you were the bride or at least part of the wedding party. It seems thrilling, getting your makeup and hair done and getting pampered all day to enjoy the festivities that are going to take place later. It’s a different way of getting to celebrate the marriage taking place and it’s amazing to be a part of.

Growing up, I was extremely into detail. I believed that everything had to be over the top (or at least perfect) and often times I was OCD about it all. I wanted perfection in my school projects and work, so naturally I saw myself debating the idea of being a wedding planner. What’s more amazing than getting to help a future bride on her most important day? It’s filled with food tasting and flower picking right? Wrong. Although being in a wedding and getting to help plan one is an amazing experience (one I would gladly still do whenever asked), it’s exhausting and time consuming. Imagine how the bride feels. She’s stressed out the entire day of her wedding (even if she claims she hasn’t been nervous for the time leading up).

I was recently in my sister Danielle’s wedding and struggling to find time for both her and my school work. I wanted to be as involved in her wedding as I could as I was not just a bridesmaid but her sister, (this weighing heavily on my bridal duties).

One duty in particle being the dress. Now, this isn’t just an ordinary dress, it takes time and precision to pick out the perfect one and I wanted to help make sure she was happy with it. Now I know you see in the television show Say Yes to the Dress where they go to one store and immediately fall in love with the second or third dress they try on. While this is possible, it’s highly unlikely. With Danielle, we went to five different stores just to end up at the beginning buying the first dress she tried on. It was the one from the start but she needed to be certain. Sometimes, you have to try all your options before committing (we all can understand that). It wasn’t drama filled, partially because Danielle has no problem explaining her distaste for a certain fabric or look. She is opinionated and in this case it worked perfectly.

Being a sophomore in college and taking my science prerequisites, I wanted to make sure all my homework was done before heading down to the location for the wedding. I knew I had two midterms the Monday after and was terrified of not getting any studying in. I headed down Thursday to help with finishing touches and making sure my dress fit one last time (you can never be too careful when you live in a different city).

When the day finally arrived, I felt myself getting nervous (which is funny considering I wasn’t the one getting married). I had never seen my sister cry until that day. She was surrounded by infinite love and the location couldn’t have been any more romantic. Of course, no wedding goes completely perfect. The location had to be accommodated for the weather and I knew she was getting a bit nervous about it, but the woman in charge handled it quickly and effectively.

Being a bridesmaid is stressful. It’s waking up at 7 or 8 in the morning to prepare for a day that you’ll be up until 3 AM for. It’s making sure the bride’s dress is in tip top shape and making sure her makeup doesn’t run from crying. It’s attending every party and meeting with her to help pick everything out. Being a bridesmaid is scary and yes, it can be challenging to manage; however, nothing beats getting to support her on her biggest day.

Bridesmaid dress, $300, bachelorette party, roughly $400, watching your sister walk towards the love of her life and the beginning of her next journey, priceless.