So you’re engaged! What’s next? Well, it’s time to start planning the wedding, and one of your first—and most exciting—duties is to pick your bridal party. If you’ve decided you don’t just want to call the women you’re closest with and ask if they’ll be in your wedding, you’re not alone. These days, many brides opt for more creative, fun ways to ask their friends to be bridesmaids. Here are ten great options for asking, “Will you be my bridesmaid?”
1. Say It with Sweets
Nearly everyone likes sweets, so odds are your future bridesmaids do, too! This gives you a chance to get cute and creative on any budget as you ask your best friends to be there for you on your wedding day. You can keep it simple by giving each bridesmaid a fancy box of chocolates or macarons with a note that says, “will you be my bridesmaid?” If you have the time to get customized desserts, consider ordering cupcakes or a cake with this question written in icing.
2. Make a Personalized Puzzle
If any of your bridesmaids enjoy putting together puzzles, you can make a custom one just so you can creatively ask them to be in your wedding! Most photo printing websites make this possible, so all you have to do is send in a picture of you and your friends, along with the message you want on the puzzle. It could be as straightforward as “Will you be my bridesmaid?” Or you could go with another message, such as “I couldn’t say ‘I do’ without you!”
3. Bring a Box of Goodies to Your Friends
Bridesmaid gifts can be a great way to pop the question to your friends. In particular, put together a box full of cute stuff or yummy treats, along with a note that asks, “will you be my bridesmaid?” You can make a unique box of gifts for each friend, such as jewelry or snacks she’ll love. You might also choose to stick with a theme, such as bridesmaid gifts they’ll need for the wedding—from bracelets and perfume to pampering face masks and nail polish. Include a note like, “You’re going to need all of these for my big day, Bridesmaid!”
4. Host a Wine Night
If you and your girls like to get together for drinks, invite them over when you’re ready to ask them to be your bridesmaids. Then plan to serve wine in bottles that feature custom labels! You can order these on numerous websites, from Personal Wine to iCustomLabel. This is your chance to choose a few bottles of wine your best ladies would love, and then customize the labels to ask, “will you be my bridesmaid?” You can hand out a bottle to each friend at the end of the night or open them up at the start of your event to enjoy together!
5. Invite Your Friends Over for Dinner & Dessert
Another way to ask your bridesmaids to be part of your wedding all at once is to host dinner for them. More specifically, cook up some Chinese cuisine so you have a good excuse to hand out customized fortune cookies for dessert! You can get these made on sites like Fancy Fortune Cookies or fortunecookieplanet.com, among several other sites. Either way, you can arrange for the tiny paper inside each cookie to say, “will you be my bridesmaid?”
6. Ask “Will You Be My Bridesmaid?” at Brunch
What’s better than brunch with your best friends? Brunch with your soon-to-be bridesmaids! In particular, a day date at your favorite restaurant where you can all have some good food and drinks before you ask them to be part of your special day. This would be the perfect time to surprise your friends with a round of mimosas, followed by a heartfelt toast to them all before you ask, “Will you be my bridesmaid?”
7. Plan a Coffee Date
If you prefer to ask each friend, “Will you be my bridesmaid?” separately, a relaxed atmosphere with delicious drinks may be your best bet. In other words, meet her at your favorite coffeehouse, and then use coffee cups to your advantage here. For instance, you can buy a personalized coffee mug online that says “bridesmaid” on it—or one that says “will you be my bridesmaid?” on the bottom of the inside of the mug. If you don’t want to wait days or weeks for the personalized mug to ship to you, just head to the coffeehouse a little early, order your friend’s favorite coffee, and ask the barista to write “will you be my bridesmaid?” on the cup!
8. Get Sentimental with a Photo Album
If you have lots of pictures of your friend group, print them out and make a nice scrapbook for everyone to look at. On the last page, ask if they’ll be your bridesmaids! This will be a touching way to ask this important question, and it’s perfect if you feel like getting artsy in honor of your friends.
9. Pop the Question with the Help of Cute Clothes
Thanks to the internet, it’s easy to find personalized clothing that says phrases like “team bride” or simply “bridesmaid.” So consider buying t-shirts, tank tops, pajamas, robes, or other practical clothing to give to your bridal party. Not only will it clue them in that they’re going to be in the wedding, but now they’ll have matching clothes to wear during pre-wedding festivities! You can present them with the clothes during brunch, a girl’s night in, or any other fun occasion where you’re all gathered together.
10. Ask Them with Adorable Accessories
Another option is customized accessories, such as headbands, bracelets, or necklaces that say “bridesmaid.” They can wear these during the wedding, as well as the bridal shower, bachelorette party, and any other occasion, of course. Etsy has lots of options for bridesmaid accessories and clothes, so take a look and get an idea of what your best friends would most appreciate.Need more wedding planning information? If you’re enjoying making plans for the big day, check out the Wedding Planning Institute to learn how we can help you get into wedding planning for your next career!
