Choosing your bridal party can be as stressful as choosing the perfect dress. Don’t let the gals get you down. Use our 5 tips and choose the best bridesmaids and hopefully it’s smooth sailing from there!

1. Will you be friends in 10 years? Too many brides choose bridesmaids that are fast friends, only to have regrets at or after the wedding. Take a good hard look at your potential bridesmaids and see if that friendship will stand the test of time. The people you have closest to you should be the ones that can look back with you at your 10 year anniversary and remember what fun you had together.

2 .Will you regret not having them as part of your wedding? Just as important as the 10-year test is the regret test. Ultimately, will you regret not having a particular friend in your bridal party? Sometimes a childhood friend isn’t your best friend anymore, but preserving that friendship might be.

3. Will they cause drama or inspire calm? No matter how fun your friends are at parties, bridesmaids should be able keep the peace not cause chaos. If your ladies are more crazy than calm, reconsider the choice. Weddings are hectic as is, there’s no need to add potential disaster to the mix.

4. Will they let you be the center of attention? On your wedding day, you should be the center of attention not your friends. Think twice about asking the friend who always steals the spotlight. In the ceremony, the pictures, even the reception, it should be all about your and your new spouse, not your drunk or crazy or spot-light crazed friend.

5. Is there another job they could have in the wedding that would be better suited for them? Not everyone wants to be a bridesmaid. Walking down that aisle can be a little intimidating for introverts. Maybe your friend would be best suited for a job as an usher, program coordinator, special reader during the ceremony, or even personal assistant for a day. There are lots of jobs for friends in a wedding!

Header Image by MB Studios as seen in Stephanie and Tim’s Atlantic Beach Club Wedding