Do I Have To? Your Guide to Wedding Cakes, Bachelorette Parties & Bridal Season
You’re part of the bridal party, and you’ve found it’s more like a bridal army since you’re in charge of tactical decisions like: how many wedding cakes can we taste, are these the best flowers for the bouquet, and really – penis straws? If you’re her best friend, her maid of honor, or have somehow become a colleague’s impromptu wedding planner: this starter guide to wedding planning is for you.
Do I have to Plan for Wedding Season?
Wedding season is a myth! Wedding planners will tell you peak wedding season is from June through August (the most popular wedding months in the USA), but they also often have agreements with vendors who increase their prices near those times.
So, our answer is no, you don’t have to plan for the ‘wedding season’. The best time to get married depends on when the happy couple wants to get married, and each couple is different. Get to know their family traditions, their favorite time of year, and politely inquire about the budget to help them plan the wedding for their favorite season.
Do I Have to Taste the Wedding Cake?
If you fear gaining a pound or two before your own dress fitting, worry not! You do not have to taste the cake or the caterer’s samples – unless you want to. Your job here is to help your bachelorette stay organized and have fun.
Checking in with family traditions in this area is key. You might think you’re doing her a favor by finding the best local bakery to create a Cinderella’s tower of a wedding cake, but if she’s always dreamed that her Grandma’s recipe would be the one she shoved in her new husband’s face, you might put her in the position of choosing your generous gift over her real desire. Don’t do that on her special day. Find out what she wants for her wedding cake, then help her figure out how to make that happen.
She will need you to help her remember what she’s supposed to be tasting and when, if the wedding won’t be family-catered. It will help if you keep a notebook handy with information about the number of guests and their dietary preferences, if possible.
Do I Have to Include Penis Straws at the Bachelorette Party?
If you’ve been paying attention, you know we don’t think you should really have to subscribe to any tradition that doesn’t fit you, the bride, or her friends. Some will want a bachelorette party with the drinking, dancing (stripper included), and those kitschy little straws, but not everyone.
Sure, it’s her final days as a single woman, but that doesn’t necessarily mean she wants some oversexed, drunken blow-out. Maybe she’d rather have a pajama party with chick flicks and tubs of Ben N Jerry’s ice cream. Or maybe she’d like to go rock out at a concert with her favorite band. Make it special, make sure she has fun. It’s a celebration for her after all, not an 80s film.
Do I Have to Know Everything about Wedding Dresses?
There’s only one thing you need to know about wedding dresses, and that’s which one makes her look gorgeous. Your primary job here is to help keep her spirits up when she thinks something doesn’t look as awesome on her as it did on the mannequin. Your secondary job is to make sure the buying process doesn’t become overwhelming. Encourage her to take her time, shop around, and choose the one she really loves. Make more than one day of it, and make sure you both eat well and pace yourselves.
Your tertiary job – and this is more important than its placement on the list makes it sound – is to make sure your bride doesn’t choose some hellish ensemble for the bridal party. Be kind, but honest. Help her choose dresses for them that they’ll want to wear again. Better yet, encourage the bride to trust her friends’ judgement and encourage them to stick with a color theme, instead.
Do I Have to Pick Out the Flowers for the Bouquet?
You probably know where we’re already going. The bride is going to be carrying the bouquet, so her decision is final. But if you’ve been keeping your notebook, you’ll be able to help her keep track of what’s in season, what will match her theme colors (if any), what’s affordable, and the best places to find them.
If your group of friends includes someone who’s extra-crafty, you can help the bride design her own custom wedding bouquet frame, then fill it with the appropriate flowers just before the wedding. Not only will she have a gorgeous, one-of-a-kind bouquet, she’ll also have a hand-made heirloom that will definitely fit the ‘something old’ part of the bill when it’s time for her girl to take a walk down the aisle.
You’re ready to help with the wedding planning, now what?
- You’ll need wedding gifts, find our favorites here.
- And if you end up with a bunch of leftover wine after the Bachelorette party, check out these ideas.
- We bet you know someone else who’s going to have wedding duty soon, share these tips with them too. Click on your favorite social media button.
With 10 years of experience dedicated to unraveling the intricate nuances of gracious gift-giving, she brings a wealth of insight and expertise to this timeless art.
Sempronia has an unwavering passion for celebrating the profound significance of thoughtful giving. Through her writing, she aims to enlighten and educate readers on the etiquette, traditions, and subtleties that envelop the world of gift-giving.