Proposing to your bridal party
I love to see how my clients propose to their bridal party. Asking your bridal party to be in your wedding is a long-standing tradition, but now we “propose” to our bridal party. When I started my career as a wedding planner, clients would just ask their bridal party, “Hey, want to be in my wedding?” Now we have elaborate ways to ask them and if you’re into it, let’s explore some fun ideas. I’ll also discuss the good old-fashioned way to ask them to be a part of your big day.
These are special people to you and whether you want to go all out or keep it simple, they deserve to feel special. They have obviously influenced your life in a positive way, so in this section, we’re going to talk about some ways you can honor them and ask them to be on your squad. Most importantly, you need to make sure they are available on the big day!
Special dinner. If all of your bridal party is in one location, plan a special night out where all of you — including spouses or dates — go out to dinner at a local hot spot. Thank them for being so special to you and ask them at dinner to be in your wedding. Of course, it’s unlikely that everyone lives in the city where you live, so individual dinners held as you can are fun too!
Phone a friend. There’s a good chance that your bridal party all live in different locations. If you can’t see your bridal party in person, at minimum call them rather than texting them. You need to speak to them directly and tell them how much it would mean to you if they were in your wedding. Make sure that they are comfortable with the financial obligations and commitment of supporting you during the process.
Write a letter. A handwritten letter is a special way to ask your bridal party to be in your wedding. We don’t often receive letters in the mail anymore, so this is very meaningful. A personal letter to each member of your bridal party isn’t elaborate but would mean so much to the recipients. Explain in the letter why you want them to be in your wedding. Include the date and location to make sure that when they respond to your letter, they can make it to your wedding.
Gift or gift basket. Many resources online have cute premade gifts to help pop the question. Who doesn’t love a good gift? A themed gift asking them to be on your squad is even better. If you make your own, include bridal party items such a tumbler with “Maid of Honor,” “Best Man,” “Bridesmaid,” or “Groomsman” imprinted on it. You could send a robe or cufflinks, and a mini bottle of champagne. Send a puzzle that they must put together that says, “Will you be my bridesmaid?” or “Will you be my groomsman?” The options are endless, so be creative and have fun designing the perfect gift for your crew. Whatever you choose, make sure to include a card asking them to be in your wedding.
Showers, Bashes, and Parties
One of my favorite parts of the wedding planning process are all the parties that are thrown in your honor leading up to the big day. They bring people together who may or may not be able to attend your wedding but want to celebrate with you.
The problem is that few people know how many parties to have. How many is too little? How many is too much? We expect that if someone is getting married for the first time, they will have lots of showers and parties, but what if this isn’t your first marriage — do you still get to celebrate? I believe all good things should be celebrated, and you should be celebrated no matter your life story.
You are probably wondering, if you do have parties, who throws them? What do you do if no one has offered to throw you a party? How many guests do you invite to your parties? What do you wear? These are all questions we’ll address in this section. Additionally, we’ll discuss gift registries, the bachelorette bash, bachelor party, couples’ shower, and bridal shower. It’s time to sit back and be pampered a bit. It will go by fast, and this is one of the moments I want you to enjoy.
Gift registries
Registering for gifts is a fun task to do together. First, you must determine your need. Wherever you are in life, you both bring different items into your marriage. You may have a lot of stuff while your fiancé has just the basics. It’s important to consolidate your items and determine what you need. If you register in a store, they’ll give you a scanner. Trust me, it’s so much fun scanning everything on display and listening to the beep-beep of the scanner. You may want to scan every item you see but in reality, you do not need everything in aisle 44 or maybe you do?
