How I Asked My Bridal Party

January 24, 2016 Lauren Mulenos

A little over a month ago, Nick asked me to marry him! If you're new, you can read our engagement story here. There are a lot of important things to decide after a proposal, but one of the most important decisions, is choosing who else will stand beside you when you say "I do"!

How did bridesmaids come about, anyway? Are you sure they aren't just another mark of consumerism? Actually, no! They were first included in weddings to ward off evil spirits. Back then, they dressed exactly like the bride (and groomsmen like the groom, which for the most part still happens), so the "curses" wouldn't know who to inflict. Pretty cool, huh?

So, how do you even pick a bridal party? It can be pretty daunting. You have to consider a bunch of things, including other people's feelings, all while trying to make your day exactly what you want it to be! I mean it is your day, right? When it comes down to it, you have to do what is best for you and if people really love you, then they will be okay with who you pick. I ended up choosing 8 bridesmaids (to match Nick's 8 groomsmen), and 4 house party members. My house party members will walk down the aisle and have matching dresses, so in reality, they won't be that different from the bridesmaids. Side note- I believe Nick will have 3 ushers, but not sure yet!

Here are a couple things I thought about when picking my bridesmaids and house party:

1) Who are the siblings? I have 1 sister and Nick has 2, so they were shoe-ins. I know some people don't include siblings, but I think if you choose not to include them, there is either a conversation that has to happen, so everyone is on the same page and/or there is a legitimate reason given.

2) Who was there for the growth of your relationship? For example the girl who introduced us and her husband are both in the wedding party, because not only were they integral in us meeting, but are also people we regularly hang out with. Because we have been out of college for over 3 years, it's a little different than if we had just graduated. We considered who we hang out with and who has helped shape our relationship. If I'm being completely honest, my wedding party isn't who I pictured standing by me as a young girl or even several years ago and that's okay! People change and so do you. Your regulars are your backbone.

3) Who keeps in contact with you? Sure I had a childhood best friend, but we haven't talked in ages. Who comes to your hangout sessions and girl talks and who always bails? You want someone who is consistent with standing by you, because who knows what curve balls life will throw at you before you get to the alter!

4) Who is paying for everything? Right now, I am footing the bill for all the bridesmaid and house party gifts. After we figure out a couple more big chunks of the budget, I might be able to get some of that back, but that isn't for sure yet. I can't really afford to pick more girls than I did and I'm not looking to rack up debt, while planning my dream day. Sure you can have all 20 of your friends stand beside you, but that is a lot of estrogen and presents to buy.

Now to the fun part...how I asked them! I wanted to think of a fun way that wasn't too overdone and could be easily mailed. I have bridesmaids from San Diego, to Houston, so I didn't want to pay more than the gift costed to mail it! I LOVE nail polish and always have my nails painted. My besties know that, so it is a fun gift that represents me, but is also functional and something they can continue to use. I researched different bridal nail polish and landed on my favorite brand...OPI! Their shade Mimosas for Mr. and Mrs. was perfect for the job.

I then went to Target and found these gift tags and twine, to use to pop the question. Gold is a accent color for my wedding, so I incorporated that with sharpies and glitter paint I already had. To make it a little more personal, I cut out heart shaped papers and wrote their names and a little note, then packed it away, with some confetti and tissue paper.

And voilà! That's how I asked them. They all said yes, so I think it worked ;) Stay tuned for more bridesmaid, groomsmen gifts and wedding updates, but until then, here's a vendor update for me:

Venue: The Castle

Photographer: Heidi Lockhart

Makeup Artist and Hairdresser: Grand Slam Glam

Cakes: Annie's Culinary Creations

DJ: Trey Rentzel

Dress: Nordstrom

Shoes: Tory Burch

Save the Dates + Invitations: Minted

Florist: Lizzie Bee's Flower Shoppe

Website: Riley and Grey

Pre-Marital Counseling: Merge by Watermark Church Dallas

I'm super close to figuring out my caterer, bridesmaid dresses, tuxes, bachelorette party, rehearsal dinner and more! I can't wait to update you as I go along.

As always, thanks for reading. If you're struggling to figure out bridesmaids and such, just remember it's about you and your loved one and y'all getting married is the only thing that really matters.

Above is the perfect pinterest graphic, if you want to remember this for later! I will be pinning everything I do for my wedding on this pinterest board. You can follow along there, or just follow my pinterest account here, to keep an eye on everything.

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