Bridesmaids… they are to a bride what fierce backing dancers are to Beyonce, ladies in waiting to the Queen, and J P Fitzgerald to Rory McIlroy. Without them, nothing would look or be the same. They help the bride through thick and thin, rescue her when she’s weeping into the cake, and hold up the dress when she pees. And yet, and yet… there are times when bridesmaids endure more than they signed up for. Comparing to these demands, helping to pee is about as shocking as being asked to help fold napkins!
So if you’re worried about stress turning you into a bridezilla, just take a look below – these are some of the worst things bridesmaids were ever asked to do! We guarantee you’ll say ‘I would never!’ Then pour that wine and drink a toast to your awesome bridesmaids.
Here’s one of the most famous cases of bridesmaid mistreatment in the last few years. A bride’s email had gone viral around the world for all the wrong reasons. She lays out her plans for her 10 bridesmaids – and boy, are they detailed… They can’t book holidays for the next seven months without her permission, have to be available for three pre-wedding parties in three different states, will be kicked out of the wedding if they take 2-3 days to reply to any email from the bride… and to top it all off, if they can’t afford to contribute money to basically everything, then they can’t be a bridesmaid. You really need to read the full insane email to see what we mean – you’ll find it here.
Over at Elite Daily, a bridesmaid has confessed to being up to her elbows in an industrial trash bin, looking for a lost wedding ring. The bride said it slipped off her finger and she thought that’s where it fell. Sadly we’ll never know if the ring was actually found… but that’s literally the only story this bridesmaid will ever tell about that wedding. This is just one of the few examples they’ve gathered.
A bride asked her red-haired bridesmaid – the only one in a wedding party of brunettes – to dye her hair for the wedding. The bride’s reasoning? ‘She told me my hair would clash with the wedding colours and that brides get a veto over pretty much every aspect of her bridesmaids’ appearances. She also mentioned my hair is quite ‘attention-grabbing’ and I’d take away from the cohesiveness of the group.’ She took to Reddit to ask for advice, and of course most people said the bride was being unreasonable. The final twist came later… it turned out, the groom may have been particularly partial to redheads, and it made the bride nervous. The bridesmaid dropped out of the wedding. As would we!
Be My Bridesmaid card from Etsy
2016 was a year to be remembered for sure – especially for the bridesmaids at a particular wedding. They received an email entitled ‘bridesmaid dress contribution’ – somewhat misleadingly. In it, the bride asked her seven bridesmaids to contribute to the cost of her own wedding dress, because she’d gone way over budget. Her reasoning? The dress would be a representation of all of them and she’d be wearing something they’d all had a part in. The bridesmaids were already contributing to their own dresses, accommodation, hen do, bridal shower, and a three-day spa trip.
Rock’n’Roll Bride had some VERY strong words to say about one bridesmaid’s dilemma… a bride asked her to dye her hair for the wedding AND lose 10 kilos in weight to look thin in pictures. The hair colour seems to be a recurring thing – possibly because it seems so easy to change? The weight loss though… we suspect not many bridesmaids would take kindly to being told!
And while on the subject of weightloss, calorie counting, hair colouring, and being fired by the bride – a terrifying email made the rounds back in 2013. You can still see the full thing on Gawker, but trust us – don’t read it if you’re feeling frazzled in any way today! The bride started innocently enough – six months before the wedding, she wanted to go over some ‘ground rules’. They included: nobody can be skinnier than the bride – two of the bridesmaids are therefore going on a weight gain program. No ‘saggy, baggy eyes’ – there’s a sleep schedule to follow. No new tattoos, and cover the existing ones with makeup for the wedding. Submit all toasts/speeches for approval no later than four weeks before the wedding. Bridezilla or bad boss? You decide. Apparently, three of the bridesmaids no longer speak to the bride.
Thank goodness for Whisper, where people are free to anonymously share their grievances, including things to do with weddings. The collection reveals some real crackers – the mildest one is to carry eye drops and simulate crying at the ceremony. The harshest? Surely the breast reduction – to match the rest of the bridesmaids. For more holy cow, click here.
If you’re a bridesmaid putting up with this kind of behaviour, what do you do? Do you run in the opposite direction as fast as you can? Maybe you should gently and lovingly explain to the bride she’s coo-coo? Or do you simply cross your fingers, do what she asks, and then plot your revenge when the tables are turned? We don’t know all the answers, but to all the suffering bridesmaids out there – we salute you!
Above photo from thescobeys.com
Main photo by Kristen Julia