Planning a Pinterest Wedding – Part 2: Bridal Party Fun

I say it all the time, weddings are just big celebrations. And a party is nothing without some crazy friends to share it with. After covering my favorite thing in Part 1, the second topic for my Planning a Pinterest Wedding Series was easy to pick – I just had to go with the Bridal Party. These aren’t a bunch of ideas for group pictures for you and your bridal party. These are cute gifts and ideas to show them that you appreciate their help and support on your special day. And I’m warning you now, this post is all over the place because every group of friends is different. So I compiled my favorite images and ideas from Pinterest with a variety of personalities in mind.

1. Have Fun
While preparing for this post I came across the greatest idea ever- a Pre-Wedding Field Day! A great way to have the wedding party get to know each other before the big day and invite the bride and groom’s family for even more fun. After all, the more the merrier. Or have your bridal party become part of your wedding tradition. Have your bridesmaids write their names on the bottom of the bride’s shoes and the last name to wear off at the end of the night is the next to get married. Have them write you special messages in blue and voila – you’ve got you’re something blue.

2. Get Girly
The morning of the wedding is a time for the girls to go get pampered. So have mini-champagne bottles ready in your prep room, give them a girly gift like a necklace that they can wear during the wedding and after, or have personalized hangers made to always display their dresses in style.

3. Synchronize
Normally I am against matching outfits (does anyone else remember the Brittney Spears and Justin Timberlake matching blue jean outfit debacle of ’01?) but I make an exception for weddings. So give your bridesmaids some great robes to get ready in, a personalized clutch to carry throughout the day, or just let them know what color nails you’d all like to have.

4. Think Manly
When buying man gifts you have to think big. Yes, you can get them ties or cuff-links but why not get them something a little more manly? A tower of beer perhaps? A personalized flask with everyone’s favorite facial hair? Or my very favorite- a personalized branding iron with each groomsmen’s initials on them so no one will lay a finger on their steaks again.

5. Help Them Out
Your bridal party has been there since the beginning – helping plan the wedding and doing all the crazy things you ask of them. So when the big day comes, help them out a little big. For the OCD bride or groom – create a program of pre-wedding events for your bridal party so the girls know when to meet at the salon and the boys know when they need to be ready for group pictures. As a wedding photographer (and a self-diagnosed control freak) I cannot recommend this enough. Getting everyone on the same page at the same time makes everything go more smoothly and gives more time for pictures. And who doesn’t want more pictures?