One of the most exciting parts of getting engaged and kicking off your wedding planning process is the act of asking your favorite people in the world to be in your bridal party. Chances are, you've thought long and hard about who you want to stand beside you up at the altar as you get ready to say "I do." You've probably even already thought about the style of bridesmaid dress that would look good on your group of gal pals as they transform into members of your bridal party.
So the next step, the fun step, is finally asking them a question that's filled with excitement, emotions, and great expectations: Will you be my bridesmaid?
Plans Can Change
The key is to not do it too soon. Oftentimes, brides wonder when is the best time to pop this question. A newly engaged bride may be so excited for what is to come, that she starts asking her friends the first week she is engaged. The problem with this is that plans change. At first, you may think you want 12 bridesmaids, but as you begin to plan your wedding and consider the size, you may see that 12 is way too much and you're better off with three.
Ask Your Spouse
You may even want to wait to see how many groomsmen your fiancé wants to have and come up with a joint number together.
Take Your Time
If the wedding you are planning is two years away, you may want to wait a longer amount of time before asking your bridesmaids to be your bridesmaids—since sometimes how close you are with certain people changes over the years.
Rule Of Thumb
The best rule is to ask your friends and family members to be your bridesmaids anywhere between a year to eight months before your wedding. That will give them enough time to plan the bachelorette party and get their dresses. Any less time may not be enough for them to be able to make the commitment.
Next Steps
Once you figure out timing and who you're going to ask, then you can brainstorm how you want to pop the question to your best mates.
FAQs
The best rule is to ask your friends and family members to be your bridesmaids anywhere between a year to eight months before your wedding. That will give them enough time to plan the bachelorette party and get their dresses. Any less time may not be enough for them to be able to make the commitment.
When to ask your bridesmaids to be in your wedding? ›
Of course, they were probably some of the first people you called after the proposal, but you don't need to rush to figure out when to ask your bridesmaids to join your wedding party. The rule of thumb is to ask one year to eight months before the actual wedding, so you have time to plan out related activities.
Is it ever too early to ask your bridesmaids? ›
How Soon is Too Soon? If you have a long engagement period, it's a good idea to wait until 8-12 months before the wedding.
How early should bridesmaids arrive before wedding? ›
Bride and bridesmaids arrive: Depends/1 hour before the ceremony. This can also depend on if you're getting ready at your venue or if you're getting ready then heading to your venue. A lot of brides will get ready except for their dress, then head to their venue and will put their dress on there.
When should you ask your bridesmaids to step down? ›
"In my experience, the most common instigation for a bridesmaid being removed from any wedding party is when some unsavory or deviant behavior, nastiness, or bitter betrayal of their doing unfolds during the final stages of your wedding plan, and the person becomes no longer welcome."
Do bridesmaids stay with bride night before wedding? ›
It all depends on what the bride needs and wants. Some brides want that night to be about them and their girls, others want a quiet night. Sometimes there are out of town bridesmaids and they stay with the bride. Sometimes it's a destination wedding and the bride and groom will share a room with their entourage.
When to ask someone to be your best man? ›
Grooms should start planning on selecting, and proposing to, their wedding party about 8-10 months prior to the wedding. This gives your best man and groomsmen plenty of time to get everything in order for your big day, from making sure he has his suit to planning and booking your bachelor party.
How many bridesmaids is too few? ›
The number of bridesmaids selected for a bridal party, is very much down to the size of the wedding. For instance, a small wedding of up to 100 people, is unlikely to have 9 bridesmaids. But a wedding of 500+ people, may do. Typically, on average, brides tend to go for around 3-5 bridesmaids.
Who gets ready with a bride? ›
– Bridesmaids should be dressed and ready when the bride is ready to get in her own dress! (along with the Mother of the Bride!) – Only 2-3 bridesmaids will actually be able to help the bride get into her dress but the other gals can surround the bride, block distractions and still be a part of the process!
Should a bride get hair or makeup done first? ›
“It has been my experience with clients that getting your makeup done before doing your hair is best,” says Voight. She further adds, “This way, the makeup artist has the chance to blend the makeup into the hairline and around the jaw area without worrying about messing up the beautiful work of the hairstylist.
Of course, you'll start with your maid of honor, followed by your sister or sister-in-law, and then from there, it tends to vary. You may have your best friend, followed by your cousin and then another close friend, or you may swap the order around.
Who walks first maid of honor or bridesmaids? ›
Bridesmaids: The bridesmaids walk down the aisle one by one before the maid of honor enters. Maid of honor: Before the ceremony, the maid of honor helps the bride with any dress, veil, or train needs, making sure everything is perfect before they walk down the aisle.
Who walks down first in bridal party? ›
The Common Options. The first way, which happens to be our favorite and preferred way, is to have the groom walk down first with his parents and stand at the front. Then the groomsmen and bridesmaids come down paired and split off at the front.
Who walks down the aisle with the bridesmaids? ›
The bridesmaids walk down the aisle one by one before the maid or matron of honor. Some couples may choose to have the groomsmen and bridesmaids walk in together in pairs.
Do you ask bridesmaids before or after engagement party? ›
No matter what, wait 60 days following your engagement to put your proposals into action. Don't rush into asking your friends and family members to be in your bridal party.
Do you ask your bridesmaids before the engagement party? ›
Celebrate Your Engagement First
It can be easy to get wrapped up in the excitement, but try to refrain from popping the question to your bridesmaids until you've had a chance to soak up the excitement from your own proposal. This is a magical time filled with happy crying, ring selfies, and embracing loved ones.
When should you ask your bridesmaids for a dress? ›
About six months before the wedding, you'll need to make a final decision on the bridesmaid dress (or dresses) that you want your girls to wear. It usually takes between two and three months for dresses to arrive, so you need to leave enough time for alterations.
