You’re engaged! The love of your life has asked you to marry them and suddenly your life is a whirlwind of engagement parties, well wishes, and excitement! Now you’re starting the planning process of putting together your dream wedding and you can’t wait to get your besties involved in the process. There’s a good chance you already have a good idea of who you would like to stand beside you at the altar when you recite your vows, but when is a good time to start inviting people into your bridal party?
Celebrate Your Engagement First
It can be easy to get wrapped up in the excitement, but try to refrain from popping the question to your bridesmaids until you’ve had a chance to soak up the excitement from your own proposal. This is a magical time filled with happy crying, ring selfies, and embracing loved ones. Our advice? Take the time to savor this time of celebration with your fiancé before making any moves with your wedding planning.
Take Time to Pick Your Bridesmaids
A general guideline is to wait at least 60 days before asking your friends and family to come to your bridal party. This will give you time to determine how many bridesmaids will make sense for your wedding according to your budget and guest count. This time frame will also allow you to really sit down and consider who you want to join you during the ceremony. Ask yourself if the people you’ve chosen will still be by your side in a few years or if you’ll cringe when you look back at your wedding photos years down the line.
Choose Your Wedding Date
Before any decisions about the wedding can be made, you and your fiancé will need to agree on your wedding date. Setting a date will help your bridesmaids-to-be get a better idea of whether they can commit to being in your wedding or not. The last thing you want is for someone to be forced out of the bridal party due to scheduling conflicts or an upcoming major life change, like a baby or a big move.
Rule of Thumb for Designating Bridesmaids
When in doubt, the rule of thumb is to ask your friends and family if they would like to be your bridesmaids anywhere between eight months to a year before the wedding. This will permit your bridal party with enough time to strategize for their new roles, plan a bachelorette party, and purchase their dresses. Weddings can be demanding to everyone involved, so giving your bridesmaids this length of notice will allow them to prepare themselves mentally and financially.
Plan Your Outdoor Tent Wedding At Windows on the Water
Wedding planning can be incredibly stressful. Let one of our expert wedding planners help to guide you through every step of the process, from etiquette to rentals. Give us a call today at (609) 208-9475 or complete our contact form. We can’t wait to help plan the outdoor wedding of your dreams in Central New Jersey!