Many of us grow up dreaming of the perfect wedding. Whether it’s on a beautiful beach during the summer or at a cozy indoor venue amongst flickering lights and white ribbons, the thought of the perfect wedding may have graced your mind a few — or a few million — times.However, one aspect that may not dance across your mind as you conjure up wedding ideas is: who will be standing next to you at the altar as you say “I do,” who will be smiling as big as you are as you throw the bouquet, and most importantly, who will be holding your hand throughout the entire process? Bridesmaids are the backbone of a wedding, they help to guide the future bride-to-be, and offer moral and emotional support through one of the most thrilling yet stressful parts of life: getting married. But how does one end up figuring out who will be there on their special day?
When one thinks of bridesmaids, often what comes to mind are the girls who hold your hair back as you throw up at two in the morning, who don’t mind your tear stains on their clothes as you ugly cry about your ex-boyfriend, and the ones who you can go to for anything and everything.
It is a difficult task to determine who will truly stick around for you and what kind of person you’ll really want helping you through your wedding, but when you do stumble upon this special kind of friendship, you’ll know.A friend who is fun-loving and always supports you (but also knows when you’re going a little crazy) is a friend that will know how to cheer you up if you’re getting cold feet and will guarantee your dream wedding is a blast. Someone who knows you so well that they can tell when something is wrong even when you don’t show it will be able to calm you down when you’re hyper-stressed about the most minute of details. A friend who can crack you up yet also has no filter when it comes to telling you how frumpy the wedding dress you’re gawking at in the mirror really will be the one to give you the perfect advice at the perfect time during your wedding process.
Good friends are hard to come by and lifelong friends are even rarer; therefore, knowing who you want to be your bridesmaid is tough. However, when you’ve met someone who has seen you strutting your stuff in makeup and heels but also has seen you slumped over in the library in ripped sweats on a Tuesday night and called you beautiful all the same, then you’ve met a bridesmaid. When you’ve stumbled upon someone who will eagerly kindle your flame in your brightest moments yet will also have no problem letting you know you’re making a horrible decision (but also might say, “you know what? Whatever!” and make it with you): you’ve stumbled upon a future bridesmaid. Someone who will make your stomach hurt laughing, who will dance crazily with you in public, who you will trust with your deepest secrets and who will cuddle and watch movies with you all night is someone who will be beside you at the altar.Having people to go to when you’re upset or when you’re ecstatic is the best feeling, and it is a feeling that will bring you comfort and will make you feel at home, even when you’re far from it. You’ll want those same sensations, that can be brought only by your bridesmaids, to be coursing through you on your wedding day, and all the days leading up to it. Your bridesmaids will not only help you feel at ease throughout the process, but they will also make it an unforgettable, hilarous and special adventure. This deep connection is one forged over time throughout years of memories and will make the decision an obvious one when you have to make it.
Whether you have yet to meet them, or have their name in your head as you read this, a bridesmaid is a friend, a best friend, a sister or a relative who will forever be by your side. A bridesmaid is someone who, while in the middle of doing anything with them, you find yourself realizing how grateful you are to have them with you. They may be hard to come by, but when they do, you’ll know it in your heart.