Single Ladies, Bridesmaid Swag, and One Wedding Down

One wedding down... two to go! I absolutely had to share this clip from this past weekend's wedding. I regret not getting it all filmed, but the bride made me dance (and you don't say no to the bride on her wedding day, right?) I missed the part where two of the band members jumped off the stage and started doing the "Single Ladies" dance. It was as spectacular as you can imagine. (PS- this is the band Pistol Creek).

Also, I thought I was successful in my Bridesmaid Swag challenge this weekend. I had the purse from wedding 1, the bracelet from wedding 2, the hand sanitizer from wedding 3, wearing lotion from wedding 4, and the necklace from wedding 5. Only, then I got home and realized that I'd grabbed the hand sanitizer from wedding 4, not wedding 5 (both are pink and from Bath & Body Works). I think it still should count though, right?

The Pros & Cons of the Wedding Time

5 weddings as a bridesmaid later, I've got mixed feelings about the best time to be in a wedding. They all have their benefits... and downsides. Of course, bridesmaids don't get to pick the hour, but at least you can be prepared before headed to the wedding. (Word of warning- the latest wedding I've been in was at 4:30pm, so that's where I stop offering suggestions). Please note- I understand that when you agree to be a bridesmaid, you're giving up your day to celebrate with the bride and groom.

The Morning Wedding:
Pros:

• Beautiful light for photographers (and if the photographer is happy, the bridesmaids get better looking pictures)
• You should have time to do things after the wedding is over, because the reception won't last until the wee hours (seriously- what bride and groom would want to pay for a 12 hour reception?)
• Less formal.

Cons:

• Do you have any idea how early you have to wake up for a morning wedding? I had to wake the bride up at 4:30am for her 10:30am wedding, since her hairdresser was arriving at 5:30am. One of the photographers got a great picture of me at the hotel after I finished getting ready around 7am... but I don't remember it being taken (AT ALL).
• Being tired makes getting ready that much more difficult. Curling irons and 6am don't mix folks. Neither does mascara. Seriously- morning weddings= early wake-up times.

Recommendations:

• Get an early night's sleep for this one. And if you have insomnia issues like I do, take an Advil PM or something like that.
• Drink caffeine that morning.

The Early Afternoon Wedding:

Pros:

• You might be lucky enough to sleep in a bit more. Or not, if you have an 8am appointment with a hairdresser.
• You have more time to wake up.

Cons:

• You're spending all day with this wedding, or else the reception is incredibly short (early afternoon makes for awkward reception times). Go ahead and prepare yourself. (My one early afternoon wedding lasted from 8am- 11pm).

Recommendations:

• Be ready to smile all day.

The Late Afternoon Wedding:

Pros:

• Beautiful light for photographers (depending on the season)
• You might have time to do stuff that morning, depending on the bride's schedule.
• More formal (less formal/ more formal of course being on what your preference is)
• You probably won't have to be up at the crack of dawn for this wedding. Unless you're friends with Bridezilla (I've been lucky).

Cons:

• You're going to spend most of the day with this wedding, unless the reception is incredibly short.

Recommendations:

• Although you probably get to sleep in some, still make sure you get a good night's rest. It could be a long night.

Believe it or not, for all my cons about the early morning, I think I liked the morning wedding the best. Less time to stress out over things (there's always time to stress over certain details), and there's time to take a nap after the reception before doing other things that night.

What to wear...

Rehearsal/ Rehearsal Dinner:
Typically this is a dress-up occasion. Double-check with the bride, but more often than not, you'll want to look nice. I typically assume Sunday best. Occasionally, this is very casual- so again, double check with the bride.

Day of/ Pre-putting on the dress:
The one thing I always forget... a button up shirt. Or a shirt with a very large neckline. Easier for not messing up your hair or makeup.

Reception:
Check ahead with the bride, but almost all are willing to let bridesmaids change into other shoes (ie, flip flops) for the reception. I typically last as long as I can handle in the heels, then I change into the flip flops. The hardest part is getting the shoes into the reception without looking goofy!