Biggest Bridesmaid Dilemmas: Solved!

It's a huge honor to be a maid of honor or a bridesmaid, and you'll experience many fantastic moments as a member of the bride's VIP circle. However, with so many different tasks to complete, purchases to make, and personalities to deal with, bridesmaids may have to solve some etiquette challenges before they can pop those champagne corks.

Problem Solved:

When the bride shows you a few dress "finalists" to choose from, ask if you can speak with her privately. Or, if she sends the photos via email, respond to the sender only; don't hit "reply all."

What to say: "These bridesmaid dresses are all very pretty, but they're more expensive than what I can afford. I want to be sure I have enough funds to help throw a fantastic bridal shower for you as well. Can we look for a few equally-pretty options that cost around (insert $X amount here)? Sorry to be a financial bummer—I'd be happy to find a few more options in the same color palette and style, if that's OK with you."

Don't be afraid to speak up: You may regret it if you don't, especially if you find out afterwards that all of the other bridesmaids thought the price was outrageous, too, but no one was brave enough to say anything! If you hear back from the bride that your new dress options are welcome, get it done right away so that the bride doesn't get anxious about this task taking too long.

Dilemma #2: You're asked to help pay for the bridal shower, and the requested amount for your contribution is much higher than what you expected.

The maid of honor or other bridesmaids never include you in the wedding-planning process.

Problem Solved:

There could be a few reasons for this, and you shouldn't take anything personally. The maid of honor may want to do everything her way or she might have been given a detailed list of what the bride wants...leaving no room for bridesmaid input. The actual reason doesn't matter; instead, just aim for a solution.

 The bride can never make up her mind about what she wants, and it's affecting the bridesmaids' plans. Time is running out!