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| (Photo credit: Egui_) |
Based on our readership yesterday, I think it is fair to say that the issue of how to pick your bridesmaids/maid of honor is a hot button topic for a lot of brides – and rightfully so. Funny thing is I had the same discussion with a friend yesterday at lunch time. She is also a wedding planner (amongst all the other maaaaaany things she does) and is going to be the maid of honor at a wedding in 2 weeks.
Interestingly, as we continued to chat we both agreed on the same thing – managing a bridal party with individuals who have very different temperaments is not easy – and this is not just bridesmaids specific, it also relates to groomsmen. She’s had to deal with members of the bridal party coming to her to complain about each other, instead of resolving issues amongst themselves, and has also had to deal with groomsmen being too laid back and not wanting to participate in any of the planning activities. To provide some context, my friend is not Nigerian (or even African) so these issues definitely cut across cultures.
The cool thing about it though, is that we agreed that in the end it is typically all worth it. As the maid of honor, people management skills are crucial so as to minimize drama within a bridal party. You have to be able to bring people together, and help them understand what their role is as part of the bridal party. This doesn’t mean bossing people around either, it means working with each person and the group as a whole, to understand their strengths and any possible constraints – and then leveraging on their strengths while factoring in the constraints. While doing all of that, make sure you all have some fun – or else it’ll just feel like work!
What do you think? Do you have experiences or tips you would like to share with us? Please feel free to share your thought below, and have a great day!
*LOL On a lighter note, the post title is reminds me of those Nigerian movies that have Part 1 to Part infinity. We’ll see if there’s a part 3 to this thing :). Cheers!!!
