Photo: Courtesy of Amber Herring
Meet our latest real bride blogger Amber Herring, a New York City-based fitness and style editor! Over the next few weeks, Amber is chronicling every last detail of her wedding planning process — from getting into shape to accessorizing her look. Here, she's sharing how she's handling her 13-person bridal party (plus her top tips for fellow brides-to-be!).
People's jaws drop when I tell them I have 13 bridesmaids, including two maids of honor. But, honestly, I couldn't imagine getting married without each of them by my side. Made up of family, friends from home and Syracuse University (where my fiancé Rajiv and I met), a large wedding party is worth having. Here's a few helpful tips I learned along the way:
Designate a Point Person: Other than your maid of honor, who will likely have her hands full, pick one or two bridesmaids who can serve as a liaison between the group and the MOH when planning events like the shower and bachelorette. This particularly comes in handy when you have different groups of friends and makes awkward situations, like collecting money, easier.
Keep It Simple: Be a decisive bride and clearly relay your choices (like the bridesmaid dress, hair, where you want your bachelorette party) to the group. That leads me to my next point...
See More: 5 Questions to Ask Yourself When Choosing Your Bridesmaids
Don't Try to Please Everyone: It can be hard to resist the urge to make everyone happy. The most important thing to keep in mind is that it's your wedding.
Remember You Can't Control Everything: Pick the areas that are most important to you, for example everyone wears the same headband, and give them some freedom for others, they choose their own hairstyles.
Pick a Unifying Element: You want a strong common thread that visually ties a large group together. I chose a one-shoulder dress for all my bridesmaids and my two maids of honor will wear a lace variation to make them stand out.
Take Pictures Before the Wedding: It's easiest to get and keep everyone's attention before the party starts.