Juggling work and personal life is one thing, but juggling work, life, and being a bridesmaid or maid of honor is something in itself. Saying “I do” to being a part of the bridal party is kind of like taking on a part-time job (although way more fun), so it’s important to keep a nice balance between your actual job, personal life, and being the bride’s right-hand gal. Here, a few tips to help keep the peace in your life.
Keep a daily planner.
Organize, organize, organize. It sounds boring, but it will save your life during these hectic times. Get a few different colored pens and write in things you need to do during the upcoming week. Color coordinate to make things easier: blue for work, pink for bridal duties, green for personal things, etc. Schedule in downtime so as not to get overwhelmed. It can be anything from dinner with the family to an hour of pleasure reading. Writing down your activities and tasks will help you stick to them and keep the balance between work and play.
Leave bridal party duties at home.
When you’re at work stay focused on work. I know it’s tempting to check Pinterest for bridal shower ideas, but attending to things outside of work can slow down your productivity, which can ultimately lead other problems. Not only might your boss get a little upset, but if you fall behind you might have to stay late or take work home with you, which then gets in the way of personal life stuff and bridal duties.
Share responsibilities.
Some people feel like they need to take on and do everything themselves. Don’t be that person. Remember that there are other bridesmaids to help aid the bride-to-be. If you’ve been given envelope sealing duties, but can’t finish the job due to some other circumstance, ask for help. At the same time, if one of your fellow bridesmaids needs help don’t hesitate to reach out a helping hand if you’re able.
Be a friend.
Before you were a bridesmaid you were a friend and nothing’s changed. Through all the pre-wedding parties and dress hunting days don’t forget about the friendship outside of the wedding planning. Invite the bride-to-be to your house for Scrabble and a glass of wine or plan a beach day/movie date/museum crawl. Sure, you’ll be spending time with her while folding napkins and discussing color schemes, but balance out all the wedding duties with good old fashioned friendship “duties.”
