How to Prepare to Walk Down the Aisle as a Bridesmaid

The moment before walking down the aisle can fill a bride with nerves, even if she has spent her entire engagement nothing but excited. This isn’t necessarily an indicator of cold feet – the nerves might not even be about the life-long commitment she is about to embark on! Instead, her apprehension may be due to the fact that upwards of hundreds of eyes are about to be on her. This is why bridesmaids may be feeling anxious as well. They won’t be the center of attention, but there is still the very real fear of tripping while walking down the aisle or any other potential embarrassing moments that could happen. A helpful tactic in remaining calm is being prepared. To aid in this, we’ve created a to-do list of what a bridesmaid should take care of the morning of the wedding, before they walk down the aisle. 

- Have something to eat. No matter how concerned you are about how you’ll look in your dress, feeling faint or "hangry" isn’t going to help.
- Stay hydrated! Especially if the bride provided mimosas, you don’t want to be stumbling down the aisle because you’re tipsy. You also don’t want to risk heat exhaustion at an outdoor vow exchange. However, checking off this task means you should be sure to…
- Use the restroom before the ceremony begins. You’re old enough to avoid accidents, but you don’t want to run off to the facilities as soon as the recessional is over.
- Put a bandage or anti-friction block on potential blister spots before putting your shoes on.
- Double-check that your hair and makeup is good to go, especially if photos were taken before the ceremony.
- Make sure the bride has also done all of the above. It’s her big day and her mind is sure to be everywhere at once.

For more wedding planning advice, learn how to handle a disagreement between your bridesmaids, find bridesmaid dress inspiration, see ideas for wedding aisle decor, and view images of brides and bridesmaids from real weddings in our photo gallery.