I bet you’ve had this vision in your head for years now;You’re livin' it up with your bridesmaids, on endless summer days laughing in the sunshine, sipping cocktails and planning your most magical wedding day. The reality, unfortunately, is rarely as shiny and perfect as that. Often one or two of them are a lot less than enthralled, won’t communicate on the group chat you specifically set up to discuss planning things with, or seem hell-bent on making what should be a wonderful and exciting time as difficult and stressful as possible for you.  I don’t want that for you. And it all starts with the people you choose to surround yourself with, the ones you keep closest to you.In this episode, I’m going to teach you the 6 deadset essential questions you need to be asking yourself BEFORE you pick your bridesmaids, groomsmen, or wedding party, including a little history on the early roles of bridesmaids which I think might surprise you and perhaps have you rethinking your expectations too.  Resources Mentioned:The average cost of being a bridesmaid: "I'm now broke." We asked 15 women exactly how much it cost them to be a bridesmaid.https://www.mamamia.com.au/average-cost-of-being-a-bridesmaid/ ------ This episode of the Unbridely Modern Wedding Planning Podcastis brought to you by the Unbridely Couples private Facebook group.Are you engaged to be married and need planning advice, wantto talk something out or share your wedding stories?If you’re looking for a like-minded community of modernengaged couples join us: https://www.facebook.com/groups/unbridelycouples ----- Unbridely acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land werecord this podcast on, the Kaurna People. We pay our respects to their Elderspast and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres StraitIslander cultures. Just by reading our articles or listening to our podcast,you’re assisting over 177 community-based organizations in six countries thatprovide education, job training, and vital life skills that contribute toadvancing girls’ rights and raise awareness to help end child marriage through Vow for Girls. Find out more about how YOU can help: https://vowforgirls.org/get-involved/Support the showFollow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unbridely/or TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@unbridelyEmail the Unbridely Podcast:[email protected]