What is a Professional Bridesmaid? Everything You Need to Know!
When it comes to planning your special day, it’s all in the details. Just ask any bride-to-be! From the flowers and food to the music and location, executing your dream wedding involves a lot of moving parts.
With so much to do, plan, and remember, it’s essential that you have a strong support system by your side. And this includes a bridal party dedicated to making your big day a success. But what if you don’t have enough trustworthy ladies to stand by your side? Or if the girlfriends in your life bring more drama than peace?
That’s where professional bridesmaids come into play! If you’re willing to throw a little money at the problem, you can hire beautiful, professional women to accompany you down the aisle with one objective: to make your dream wedding a reality.
Keep reading to discover the answers to these common questions – what is a professional bridesmaid? What services do they offer? And what are the benefits of hiring one?
What is a Professional Bridesmaid?
Professional bridesmaids are sometimes referred to as consultants and are paid members of a bridal party. Professional bridesmaids carry out all the same duties as traditional bridal party members without all the fuss. These consultants can perform a wide range of services, from helping plan the big day to offering emotional support and providing a great cover story about who they are. (In case your great aunt Ruth asks why she’s never met your friend.)
These bridesmaids for hire can also help other members of your bridal party navigate the date. First-time bridesmaids may not realize how much work goes into accepting this coveted role. For example, the bridal party is often tasked with planning the bridal shower, handling RSVPs, helping pick out the wedding dress, and registering for gifts. A professional bridesmaid can help keep things on track and ease any stress or anxiety on the day of the wedding and leading up to it.
Top Reasons to Hire a Professional Bridesmaid
For those unfamiliar with professional bridesmaids, you may be skeptical about the whole idea. I mean, what bride doesn’t have at least a few friends to call on for her big day? Well, not only is this not always the case, but there are a few more good reasons to consider hired help as part of your wedding ceremony.
You don’t have close friends
This is one of the top reasons people hire professional bridesmaids. Not everyone has a close-knit group of friends that they can rely on. The average bridal party consists of between three and five people, depending on many factors, from budget and location to venue size and personal preference.
Most people have many acquaintances but not many friends they would consider best friends or reliable. The last thing a bride needs on her wedding day is added stress. Bridesmaids are responsible for various important tasks, and if they drop the ball, it could be catastrophic for the ceremony. Hiring a professional bridesmaid with experience in planning and executing all the duties that come with the role helps ease the bride’s mind.
Distance is another factor to consider. Not all close friends and family can travel for a wedding. Your top bridesmaid choices may have to decline your offer, whether it’s due to their work schedule, financial situation, or other responsibilities. A professional bridesmaid can be just the fill-in you’re looking for!
You have close friends, but there’s too much drama
Sometimes, it’s not a lack of friends that causes a bride to ask what is a professional bridesmaid and where she can find one. No one wants friend drama on their wedding day! Conflicting opinions, big personalities, and even bigger attitudes can all damper your big day. Paying a professional bridesmaid to join your party means getting their experience, work ethic, and dedication to making your special day a success.
What about if you have TOO many friends? There’s nothing worse than having to choose between a large friend group when building your bride party. You don’t want to offend anyone, but you also don’t want 15 people standing next to you as you say your vows. When you hire a professional bridesmaid, they can disguise themselves as your long-lost cousin and stand alongside your other family members. The best way to avoid offending someone from your friend group is not to include any of them in your bridal party but to invite them as guests.
You need a specific number of bridesmaids
Most brides have a very specific vision for their wedding day. And that might involve an even number of people in the bridal party. Whether that’s five bridesmaids and five groomsmen, for a total of 10, or four on each side, numbers and balance matter to some soon-to-be brides. But what if your friend group only consists of three reliable besties? Or maybe the groom has chosen four friends, and you need to balance things out. Short of asking someone you don’t feel comfortable asking to join your wedding party, you might find yourself in a pickle!
Never fear! A professional bridesmaid is the easiest and most practical way to secure the exact number of bridesmaids you want on your special day. Now, not only will your wedding ceremony be perfect, but so will your pictures.
You need extra help with all the details
Congratulations! You’ve chosen all the members of your bridal party, and now you can start planning. Except, none of your bridesmaids have any experience or idea of all the duties and responsibilities that come with the job. Bridesmaids are tasked with more than just paying for a dress in a certain color or style and practicing their march down the aisle.
On the most basic level, bridesmaids are responsible for numerous things, including:
- Shop and pay for your dress, shoes, accessories, and more
- Help shop for the bride’s wedding dress
- Help plan the bridal shower (plan, pay for, decorate)
- Help plan the bachelorette party (plan, pay for, decorate)
- Offer emotional support to the bride
- Help choose and craft wedding favors, centerpieces, bouquets, etc.
- Attend the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner
- Buy a wedding gift
Of course, these responsibilities can change and depend greatly on the bride’s personality, budget, and preferences. Some brides are more demanding than others. In addition to these basic jobs, bridesmaids may be expected to book and pay for travel expenses associated with the wedding or bachelorette party, attend any other pre-wedding events, and help the bride from sunup to sundown on her special day. That means helping her get dressed, destress, use the bathroom, make sure she eats, help her prepare her speech, and the list goes on!
Not everyone is up for this task. Or, they want to be involved with the wedding but don’t know all the requirements or nuances that help make the bride’s dream wedding a reality. A professional bridesmaid can guide other bridal party members and guarantee that all of the necessary measures are taken to ensure a perfect day and stress-free days leading up to it.
FAQ About Professional Bridesmaids
Whether you’re in the market to hire a professional bridesmaid or you want to become one, check out these frequently asked questions about this unconventional but wildly popular practice.
Are professional bridesmaids really wedding planners in disguise?
No! These two professions are distinctly different. While some professional bridesmaids assist with planning the wedding, they aren’t wedding planners. The role of a professional bridesmaid is to support the bride in any way possible. This includes emotional support, help making hard decisions, guiding other members of the bridal party, and engaging guests during the reception. Wedding planners are more focused on the logistics.
Wedding planners work closely with vendors, ensure that the venue is perfect for the ceremony, and other important details. Wedding planners coordinate the wedding day’s moving parts, including the food, flowers, music, photographer, schedules, and more! While they focus on the details and logistics, a professional bridesmaid has other, more important duties.
Professional bridesmaids offer an emotional support system to the bride, other bridesmaids, and sometimes the groom! They’re essentially the best friend every bride wishes she had in her back pocket. Professional bridesmaids perform many tasks that wedding planners can’t handle, like writing vows, navigating friend drama, and helping ease wedding day jitters.
How much do professional bridesmaids make?
There’s no set price for a professional bridesmaid. Many factors go into the final figure, including experience, demands, and location. If the bridesmaid needs to travel or take on a large number of duties, they’ll likely charge more than a bridesmaid who’s hired mostly as a stand-in on the day of.
Some professional bridesmaids charge by the hour, while others charge a flat fee. According to one outlet, some hired bridesmaids make between $1,500 and $10,000 per wedding! These bigger paydays often require much more hands-on help and may involve attending multiple events leading up to the wedding ceremony. Hourly fees for a professional bridesmaid average between $20 and $22.
Can you hire a maid of honor?
Definitely! There’s not much difference between hiring a bridesmaid and hiring a maid-of-honor, except the latter comes with more prestige and responsibilities. Although most brides have at least one person they’d consider MOH material, this isn’t always the case. For brides who want an organized, detail-oriented sidekick to help keep their wedding on track, there are professionals for this, too. You can also hire a professional bridesmaid to help assist the MOH so that your best friend, sister, cousin, or mother (matron of honor) gets all the credit while the hired help does all the “dirty work.”
A Professional Bridesmaid Does More Than Just Look Good!
When building a beautiful bridal party, you want bridesmaids up for the challenge. Some brides love their friends but are realistic about their limitations. Not everyone can afford the cost of being a bridesmaid or the emotional responsibility and commitment that come with the title. Instead of burdening your friends (or yourself), why not hire a professional bridesmaid with experience being the perfect pal on your perfect day?
Trust us: hiring a professional bridesmaid will be the best investment you will ever make!
