Wedding Invitations

There are so many stories of bridesmaids letting down the bride in one way or another that some people are seriously considering having their bridesmaids sign contracts. These contracts could include things like promising not to gain weight, get pregnant or bail out for any reason.

Of course we all know that we don’t always have control over the happenings of the universe. Sometimes there are family emergencies and a bridesmaid has to bail out. Sometimes a winter storm hits and flights get cancelled. Even weight gain happens to the best of us. As do unexpected pregnancies.

There are definitely two sides to this. The bride needs to recognize there are uncontrollable circumstances and understand that the bridesmaids can’t put their life on hold for them. But at the same time, the bridesmaids need to be considerate & responsible, as well as recognize the time and expense the bride is putting into them. It’s unfair that the bride has to pay for the dress, just for a bridesmaid not to wear it, whatever the situation is.

If contracts are a must, then perhaps a good compromise would be…If the bridesmaid flakes out they have to reimburse the bride for the cost of the dress. In the situation of weight gain or pregnancy, the bridesmaid would need to pay for any adjustments to the dress or for the new dress. You can work it out however you want but hopefully it’ll never come down to contracts.

To see the article that inspired this wedding etiquette topic, please visit:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/02/04/nbmaid104.xml