How To Keep Your Bridal Party Informed: A Guide To Keeping Everyone In The Loop

How To Keep Your Bridal Party Informed: A Guide To Keeping Everyone In The Loop

One of the most integral parts of a wedding is the bridal party. After all, your bridal party consists of the people closest to you offering their time, money, and effort to provide support on one of the biggest days of your life. Make sure your honored guests feel appreciated and well prepared with these ways to keep your bridal party informed.

Itineraries

Even a small wedding is a big event that requires a very detailed schedule. Along with the wedding itself, there are also related events that your bridal party will need to not only attend but help plan. By providing a timeline of events, your expectations will become clearer and your bridal party will have plenty of time to prepare.

Keep in mind that the bridal party doesn’t just consist of your equipoise definition those standing up in your wedding. Your parents, siblings, the ring bearer, flower girl, and anyone else with special assignments each have unique responsibilities and will appreciate a schedule that is specific to them. Here are some examples of important events your bridal party needs to be aware ASAP:

Pre-Wedding Day Events

• Purchasing Wedding Day Clothing

By what date do clothing and accessories need to be purchased by?

• Planning the Bachelorette Party

What are your ideal dates, locations, and group expectations?

• Bridal Shower

Is your bridal party expected to contribute? Where and when will this take place?

• Rehearsal Dinner

When, where, and dress code?

• Booking Accommodations

What hotel will you be staying at? When do rooms need to be booked by?

• Decorating the Venue

Have you hired a day-of coordinator, or will your party be expected to decorate?

Wedding Day Events

Along with the full itinerary, make sure to highlight items that are specific to the bridal party such as:

• Getting ready

• Bridesmaid photos

• Bridal party group photos

• Ceremony arrival time

• Ceremony

• Reception

• Bridal party entrance

• Toasts

Bridal Party Packing List

Your wedding day schedule is sure to be jam-packed from start to finish, and if members of your bridal party forget to pack important items, there may not be time to retrieve them or purchase new ones. To avoid mishaps, take the initiative and provide packing lists for your bridal party. Important items include:

• Bridesmaid dress

• Accessories

• Formal shoes

• Dancing shoes

• A change of clothes

• Bridesmaid robe

• Makeup (for touch-ups)

• Copy of the speech

• Wedding gift/card

• Images of desired hairstyles and/or styling equipment

• Cell phone charger

Task Master

As the center of attention on your wedding day, it’s impossible to do everything yourself which means you will need to distribute tasks among your bridal party to ensure everything is taken care of. When delegating tasks, it’s important to play to everyone’s strengths and discuss ideas with your bridal party, to make sure everyone is comfortable with their tasks. A few tasks you can delegate that will make your life easier on your wedding day are:

• Paying vendors (Prepare your vendor checks in envelopes addressed to each vendor)

• Point of contact/Decision maker

• Setting up decorations

• Collecting décor after the ceremony and reception

• Distributing props (such as sparklers or bubbles for the grand exit)

• Handling of the rings

Cost

The cost of being apart of the bridal party doesn’t always come cheap, and since everyone’s financial situation is different it’s important to be upfront about potential costs. Being transparent gives your bridal party time to save, discuss cheaper alternatives, or decline your bridal party invitation so you can extend the invitation to someone else. Keep in mind that time as well as money plays a factor in your bridal party’s ability to participate. Information concerning cost that your bridal party needs to know ahead of time are:

• Cost of the bridesmaid dress

• Location of the wedding (especially if it’s a destination wedding or requires travel)

• Location and itinerary for the bachelorette party

• Is the bridal party responsible for splitting the cost of the bridal shower?

• Price of accommodations

• Cost of hair and makeup

Methods for Sharing Information

When it comes to sharing all this important information with the bridal party, it comes down to what is most convenient for everyone involved. Luckily, technology has provided us with some options that are easy to access and can help keep everything organized. A few methods we have seen successfully utilized in keeping the bridal party informed include:

• Private Facebook groups

• Google spreadsheets

• Group text

• Pinterest boards

• Email

An Informed Bridal Party is A Happy Bridal Party

Being a part of the bridal party is a big responsibility, that requires an important commitment from each member. By keeping your bridal party informed throughout the planning process, your bridal party will have clear expectations leading to a happier bridal party and ultimately a happier bride and groom!