As you plan your wedding, it’s easy to get lost in all the things you need to do: Contact vendors, make payments, send invitations, figure out decor, etc. The list is endless. So when it comes your bridal party, preparing them well can be the difference between a smooth wedding day with extra hands to help and 10+ confused people sending loads of texts your way.

To help you know what to say and how to help, here are some simple ways to prepare your bridal party well:

01. Create a board on Milanote

When we got married, having a point of reference made the biggest difference. Milanote is a free platform that allows you to create virtual mood boards that can be used to link, share photos, give instructions, set due dates, etc. It’s like combining Pinterest with a Google Doc. You can then send your party their boards and make it their point of reference for all the things they’ll need to know.

For us, we made a Groomsmen Board and a Bridesmaids’ Board. Inside, we attached links to dresses, shoes, suits, discount codes, directions to rental places, etc. We also put in pictures for reference, ideas for hair and makeup, and due dates for when things needed to be fitted/ordered by. Having that point of reference for our bridal party saved us so much time and their relieved stress knowing where they can go with questions.

02. Gift the Practical

Bridal party gifts are such a fun way to love on the people who will stand beside you on your wedding day, but balancing the simple “fun” things with practical gifts can make a huge difference!

For example, if you’re wanting your bridesmaids to wear something special the morning of, gifting that to them helps ensure they have the right thing for your big day. For the guys, you can do something like cuff links or nice socks that will go well with their dress shoes. You can do this in many different ways, but gifting something that they will use can be very helpful!

03. Always Give Buffer Time

Whether you have friends that always run late or not, giving your bridal party ample time to do the things you need of them relieves your stress. If the groomsmen need to be fitted by a certain day, tell them it needs to be done a week earlier than the real due date. Tell your bridesmaids to order dresses a few weeks before they need to. That way, if they do accidentally forget, you’ll have time to remind them without causing stress to either of you!

04. Send a Wedding Day Packing List

It’s not uncommon that we get to a getting ready suite only for a bridesmaid or groomsmen to realize they’ve forgotten an important item for the big day at home. A great way to keep this from happening is to give your bridal party day-of packing lists. You can make one yourself, or you can grab our free PDF pack HERE, but giving them a list is so helpful to them!

Our pack includes four different lists:
1. The Bridesmaid’s Packing List
2. The Groomsman’s Packing List
3. The Bride’s Packing List
4. The Groom’s Packing List

They have a default list with things almost all of our couples need, plus some open lines for you to fill in for items specific to your wedding day. It’s always helpful to have things written down so that no one forgets, and it was a huge help for our bridal party!

05. Communicate, then Communicate Again

Bridal parties mean lots of moving pieces and lots of different personalities. We always recommend that when it doubt, over-communicating is better than under-communicating. You can give groomsmen a due date to get fitted months before, then check in the week of to remind them, and do the same with your bridesmaids. Always keep your communication straight forward with dates, times, and expectations. The more you are transparent with them, the easier time they will have being there for you!

All in all, your bridal party is filled with people who truly love you. They want to see you have the best day of your life and cheer you on throughout your marriage! We hope these tips help with your wedding planning process and take all the stressors from both you and your friends! Congratulations!