My friend Becca calls me today to announce that she is engaged and she wants me to be her maid of honor.
This is the sixth time I will have been a bridesmaid.[sub]The first person to say “Always a bridesmaid…” gets stuff thrown at them.[/sub]
The bad side
Another dress that I will spend at least $400 (and get pumps dyed to match) and NEVER wear again. I am very tempted to have a quilt made of all my bridesmaid dresses-that would be a practical use for them.
I have a feeling she will have a bad case of bride nerves and I’m out of Valium.
You know the saying “every bride is beautiful”? Well, Becca is drop dead gorgeous all the time. Imagine Angelia Jolie, six feet tall and blond hair down to her butt. I have to have pictures taken standing by THIS?
The good side
She has good taste so, fingers crossed, the dress won’t be that bad.
Two words for the reception: Open bar.
Our friend is going to dj the reception-no hokey pokey or chicken dance.
You do realize that two of the good things on your list are things you would get whether you are in the wedding or not. (I’m assuming that she would still invite you even if you are the maid of honor).
I’d refuse on the simple principle that it is her damn wedding, she can pay for your dress. But all the women at work think I’m a heathen in that regard.
I’d be more than happy to take any old bridesmaids dresses off your hands.
I cut 'em off and hem 'em up, and then take them to school (Kindergarten) for dress-up.
The girls love them.
You know what would be a cool use of an otherwise useless frilly bridesmaid dress? Make a giant toilet paper cozy out of it! You know, those little bathroom dolls that hide a spare roll of toilet paper under their frilly petticoats (don’t tell me that that my Grandma the only person who makes these things?).
A simple matter of sewing up a ragdoll head, shoulder, arms arrangment, and I know I’ve seen giant rolls of paper on the backs of flatbed trucks. Voila!
I’m going through the same thing hardygrrl. A few months ago my friend asked me to be her matron of honor at her wedding in October.(Maid or matron? Whatever they’re called, that’s what I am.) The good thing about being in this wedding is I don’t have to buy the dress or the shoes! I already have an ugly dress leftover from the last wedding I was in. It was strapless and I didn’t have the boobs to hold it up so we had to sew foam boobs into the dress to make it look right! It was horrible. [sub]I still have the foam boobs![/sub]
[sub]at the risk of being impaled by a pointy object[/sub]
As soon as I hear the word bridesmaid, I always think of Selma Bouvier, “Always a Bridesmaid, only occasionally a bride.”
[sub]technically nothing should be thrown at me, as it wasn’t the exact quoting you were thinking of.[/sub]
Seriously, though, why are a good 75% of bridesmaids dresses ugly as hell. And usually it’s the color, not neccesarily the stlye. My sister got married a month ago, and the dresses were actually very nice (at least I thought so, but then agian, I’m a guy, so that might account for part of it.)
And another thing, $400!! Good lord! Another reason why it’s better to be a guy, tux rentals only cost $70.
I’ve been a flower girl, a bridesmaid, and a bride one time each.
Best time was as the bride. My brother was my bridesman, my sister my bridesmaid. My husband’s best friend was his best man, her husband was groomsman. When I was asked what dresses the women would wear, I said “navy blue.”
That’s it. My sister sews and I knew I could trust her to come up with something both attractive and tasteful. The best man also has good taste, and since it was an afternoon (and simple) wedding, there was no need to go overboard.
Needless to say, they both looked fabulous. As did my candlelighters (my two nieces) in their dresses that matched their mom’s (except the bodice and skirt materials were switched around). The men all wore navy blue jackets and either blue or grey pants. Very basic, but very classy.
A couple of years ago in People Magazine they ran an article about a woman who wore this gawdawful sequined spangly topped bridesmaid dress for scuba diving, parachuting and an assortment of other activities. She always made sure to have her picture taken in it.
obfusciatrist, I agree with you. If I ever married again and had attendants I would either buy or rent the gowns. I’d feel weird asking someone to do me such an honor but to have THEM pay for it! AT my wedding(I was married away from home but my family was there) I sent home the pattern for the dress, along with the required materials and someone made it for my sister(the only attendant) The groom and best man wore their Army uniforms( I could have too but didn’t) and I wore a dress a friend had made for me. He labor was her wedding gift and I payed for the materials. Our ushers, all military but different services, wore their uniforms, so we had a theme going. Dad just wore an ordinary Sunday suit.
In the immortal words of Dave Barry, “The bridesmaids dresses must be so ugly that they can never be used again, even as tourniquets.”
My sister is maid of honor (for the one that wasn’t sure it is maid if you are single and matron if you are married) and she suddenly deeply involved in floral arrangements and what the wishing well should be at the shower and dress fabrics. I was starting to worry for her sanity until I heard the bachelorette party would be held in Vegas. Now that’s my sister!
She’s already buying bridal magazines and doing the Dress Search. Thank god the other bridemaids have about the same body type as me. If we can find a dress that flatters one, it’ll flatter everybody.
I did make one small request-no poufy skirts. Last wedding was a poufy skirt. Ugh. Try sitting down with a hoop slip on. It’s not easy.
Yeesh. I just called my maid of honor and asked what she wanted to wear, preferably something she already had. So she wore a really nice green dress. I was the matron of honor at another friend’s wedding and she just told me what the colors were and asked me to get something. I wore a white shirt embroidered in blue, and black dress slacks.
BTW for anyone curious, if the bride wants her brother or guy friend to stand with her, he’s an “attendant” or “attendant of honor.” I believe the terms are the same if the groom wants a female friend to stand with him.
Ehh, I don’t know why this stuff amuses me, I survived one wedding and I only ever intend to endure one more as the bride.
The “AGAIN” was meant to come across as “oh no, not this AGAIN.” Being a bridesmaid is hard work, dammit.
If I ever get married, I’m going to the courthouse or the cheesiest chapel Vegas has to offer. No huge production number of a ceremony, no white dress, just say the vows and hit the road.
My mom suggested renting a convertible, driving to Vegas, and having a small party there, just me, the groom, his parents, my parents, and a couple of friends.
Sounds like a blast to me, if I ever get married again.
