Wedding planner, bride highlight responsibilities of a bridesmaid
Madison Roxbury and her bridesmaids worked diligently the last week of December to set up for her wedding day.
Roxbury, who works as the wedding and event manager for Eisler Farms of Connoquenessing Township, celebrated her own wedding on New Year’s Eve.
“The duties of bridesmaids … can range from decorating to helping the bride relax with a spa night, going to the rehearsal dinner, and so much more,” Roxbury said. “They often act as the main support the few days before the wedding since families are often entertaining out-of-town guests.”
The role of a bridesmaid now often starts in the same way as an engagement. The bride will often pop the question to her bridesmaids with a personalized gift, such as a cookie or mug.
When the bridesmaid says yes, the monthslong commitment begins. Bridesmaids duties are dependent on the bride, but one thing is certain, they are there to support the bride, Roxbury said.
In the midst of assisting with the wedding planning process, bridesmaids may have to help plan bachelorette parties and bridal showers, craft decorations, attend dress fittings with the bride, and search for their own dresses.
“It can cost anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand depending on the bride’s wishes,” Roxbury said.
As a wedding planner, she knows big bachelorette party trips can end up being a large piece of a bridesmaid’s budget.
“It is becoming more known that the trips and parties are expected to be expensive. Many brides want the experience more than a material gift from their bridesmaids,” Roxbury said.
More frequently, she sees brides allowing their bridesmaids to choose their own dresses — within certain parameters. A bride, for instance, may ask her bridesmaids to choose a dress in a specific color or to choose from several predetermined options.
Sometimes, the bridal party will wear two different colors, and a bride may allow her bridesmaids to help determine who wears which color.
“Since many brides are also bridesmaids to others at the time of their wedding, they understand the annoyance of having to purchase an expensive gown they will never wear again,” Roxbury said.
For her own wedding, Roxbury asked her bridesmaids to find a formal black gown in their price range. She asked that they each send her a photo of the dress so she could ensure it fit her vision, but then gave them the OK to purchase it.
When the planning is done and the day has arrived, a bridesmaid's duties include helping the bride get ready.
“The bridesmaids offer nurturing and support. They make sure the bride is feeling the most confident she can feel,” said Roxbury.
She said she was grateful to the bridesmaids who have been helping to make her New Year’s Eve celebration a success.
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