Expecting Bridesmaids

When a lot of girls think about their future wedding, they picture themselves in a gorgeous white dress, how their hair will be done, the cake, the ceremony and of course sharing the day with the special girls who will be their bridesmaids. We all know the idealistic pictures we all had in our heads when we were younger regarding our own weddings and, for those of us who are married, we also know how different our real weddings were from our dream weddings.

One of the things that many girls don’t think about, until they are planning their wedding and have this issue arise, is the special considerations surrounding bridesmaids who are pregnant. Even then, a lot of brides-to-be don’t think much about an expecting bridesmaid while they’re planning their wedding because they’ve never been pregnant, so they don’t realize that some things may need to be taken into consideration.

If you are planning your wedding and one of your bridesmaids is expecting, consider the following as you get further into the wedding planning process.

• Due Date – This is the most important issue you will have to consider when planning your wedding. If your dear friend is pregnant, then find out when her due date is and plan your wedding a good month before the baby is due…or, wait a couple of months until after the baby is due. This will help ensure that your bridesmaid will be able to attend your wedding, but if you plan the wedding within a couple weeks of her due date, she may go into labor early and have to miss the wedding altogether.
• Bridesmaid Dresses – When you’re planning a wedding and have a pregnant bridesmaid, you will have to look at bridesmaid dresses that have a maternity look about them. This doesn’t mean you have to have all your bridesmaids wearing the same dress. You can easily have each bridesmaid in a different dress, but all wearing the same color. Or, if the mother-to-be is your maid/matron of honor, you could let her stand out by putting her in a dress that’s different from the other bridesmaids…you may even want her dress to be a different color than the other girls in your wedding.
• Length of the Ceremony – Finally, some wedding ceremonies are short and sweet while others, like Catholic weddings, can take an hour or more. If you are planning a lengthy ceremony, consider having chairs up at the front for your bridesmaids and groomsmen to sit down in. A pregnant bridesmaid, especially if she is within a month or two of delivery, will not be able to stand on her feet for very long without getting uncomfortable. Therefore, consider the length of the ceremony and try to accommodate your expecting friend, if needed.