Tips for Bridesmaids During the COVID-19 Pandemic

It’s not news that being a bridesmaid can be a full-time job for many women. With shifting standards in the wedding industry leading to more ridiculous demands of bridal parties, most bridesmaids spend countless hours and thousands of dollars on someone else’s big day. If this weren’t bad enough, the COVID-19 pandemic has complicated matters even further. Weddings and large events have been canceled for the foreseeable future, leaving brides and grooms everywhere scrambling to figure out what’s next. While a tense situation for all, there are ways that everyone can pitch in and help.

If you’re a bridesmaid who is trying to help a couple put together a wedding during the coronavirus crisis, there are several ways you can add some assistance. Look over these tips and discover additional ways bridesmaids can come through.  

Focus on the Emotional Impact

Having a wedding canceled or delayed due to circumstances beyond one’s control can be overwhelming. The couple might be dealing with venue managers, caterers, and an array of vendors, but the core of all of the conversations is steeped in upsetting emotions. Whether the couple is showing it or not, the current situation is likely having a serious impact on their emotional states. As a bridesmaid, one of the easiest ways you can provide help is by reaching out. Calling to check in on the couple can do wonders in a few key ways.  

For one, the couple has likely been stuck inside during the past few months of quarantine. This means they have probably spent hours upon hours discussing the situation at length. Calling to ask about how things are going can offer your friend a chance to vent to someone who isn’t a significant other. It might seem like a small gesture, but reaching out and informing someone that you are there for them and that you care about the situation can do wonders to soothe jangled nerves.

Don’t Be Difficult

Here’s the thing — brides and grooms can often be quite difficult and make crazy demands of members of a wedding party. This isn’t okay, per se, but it usually comes from the frenzied nature people fall into when planning for milestone events. No matter how difficult the couple might be while trying to reschedule the wedding, you cannot return the favor. A difficult bridesmaid serves no one, so you need to roll with the punches if you are going to make useful contributions to the event.

Now, you also need to consider your own health. Being flexible during this time is very important, but you don’t want to go along with any plans that you don’t agree with. If the bride asks you to attend a gathering with more people than is legally allowed or tells you not to wear a face mask during the ceremony, these can serve as deal breakers. Don’t be difficult, but also speak up and know when you need to say something about the current health crisis and how it impacts the wedding party.

Complete Tasks You Can Handle

With so much time at home during quarantine, it is likely that you have extra hours in your day to take care of various tasks. This can be invaluable to a couple dealing with a wedding that needs rescheduling. Offer to take on any jobs that you know you can handle, from contacting vendors to informing guests of changes. This direct action will result in some wonderful assistance to those who need it most.

Though the work of a bridesmaid is never done, there are plenty of ways you can go above and beyond during the pandemic to help a couple in need. Find what works for your friends, focus on your own health throughout the process, and do what you can to make a difference.