How to Get Your Bridesmaids to Bond

Here's how to help your bridal party become fast friends.

Here are some tips to help your ladies bond with one another before the pre-wedding festivities start!

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Photo: River Medlock Photography

Though occasionally a bride will have a tight group of friends that hasn’t changed since childhood, oftentimes bridesmaids will be from different stages of a woman’s life. Sure, your college roommate and friend from your old job could have met at your birthday parties over the years, but if everyone is spread out geographically, there’s a good chance that no one has met at all. While it’s not a requirement for all of your attendants to be best buds, it certainly can help make the bridal shower and bachelorette party more fun. Here are some tips to help your ladies bond with one another before the pre-wedding festivities start. 

First, make sure you introduce everyone. A group email will not only help everyone know who the members of the bridal party are, but it will also provide necessary contact information. Being in charge of communication for the entirety of your engagement could quickly become exhausting, plus you never know if your ‘maids will want to plan a surprise for you! Though we don’t advise forcing friendships, gently encouraging your bridesmaids to follow each other on social media can help forge a connection, particularly if they don’t all live in the same city. Nudge the process along by creating a Facebook group for planning purposes, or even a group chat on Instagram to share amusing wedding-related memes. 

Schedules permitting, try to organize at least one get-together outside of any actual pre-nuptial celebrations. Dress shopping, whether for you, the bridesmaids, or both, can be a good way to get everyone in one place. However, differing opinions on the gowns could wind up leading to unwanted tension. If the logistics of your bridesmaids don’t allow for multiple weekends of traveling, pair the shopping experiences with a nice lunch or even cocktails. This will help improve everyone’s mood if shopping was stressful. Try to keep the conversation off the wedding as much as possible – mentioning shared interests to help forge friendship bonds. In the instance where geography is not an adversity to overcome, organize a spa day or movie night so everyone can hang out without the focus being on your upcoming nuptials. 

Find out how to show appreciation for your bridesmaids and discover the dos and don'ts of choosing a maid of honor