The wedding day for any bride and groom can be a slice of heaven or a walk through hell depending on how their supporting team makes life easier for them or all the more difficult. The groom has got his best man, and the bride has got the maid of honour.

Sort of their immediate lieutenants on the battle ground. Win or lose if you are given the responsibility to take up either of those positions, it’s going to be a tough fight all the way. So gear up, as here are tips on how to be the best bridesmaid in the entire universe….or wedding.

5 Helpful Tips Every Bridesmaid Should Know are:

Plan, Plan Till you Succeed

Be it war, business or even something simple as, what to cook for the day, planning is the key to success. So the number one tip on how to be a good maid of honor begins with planning. Planning changes everything and planning well in advance will give you the best of everything; you shall receive the venue of your choice, the caterers that serve the best food, the exotic flowers, chocolates and wines that you wish to order from all over the world. Everything will fall in place and at times will end up being surprisingly affordable as well.

Be Present, Be Cooperative

You may be the bridesmaid, but there are still many others who are close to the bride, including your fellow bridesmaids. So it’s important for you to not only be involved but also be very co-operative and participate even though it may not be your idea. The same goes with being present all the time for the bride. Remember sometimes simply your presence will relieve the bride of all her tensions and stress as she will be reassured to see a familiar face around her in a crowd of crazy people.

Be at your Best

It may be just a simple get together party a week before the wedding or the bachelorette itself. Even though the bride it’s supposed to have the time of her life along with everyone else who will be in high spirits and party hard until the wee hours of the morning, not you. Stay focused, stay sober and be at your best manners, no sleepovers, no getting drunk and most of all do not create a scene of any kind. These are basic rules of being a bridesmaid etiquette. Believe it or not, bridesmaid problems are prominent but even more are the problems that the bride will have, be at an emotional breakdown, get drunk or simply just get cold feet on the day of the marriage. Be there, be the best.

Prepare for the Worst

Literally, anything might go wrong, at any given point. It might just be a medical emergency, or the flowers didn’t make it to the venue on time, the car broke down, etc. The how to be a bridesmaid book says to keep some cash aside. Keep all your contacts handy, carry a few extra clothes, medicines and if nothing works, make sure you have a pair of running shoes handy in order to sprint in your bridesmaid outfit to save the day.

Wear the Bridesmaid Dress

The most important of it all wear that bridesmaid dress, even though it might look like the costume of a character from Disney or if you might end up looking like a Las Vegas stripper don’t complain. Remember at the end of the day it’s not about you, it’s about the two people who plan on spending their life together from this day onwards. Sometimes it might just not be that bad and will end up being one of those lace bridesmaid dresses that you always wished for. So yes, get dressed, get going and might as well have some fun while you are at it.

Do get a thorough research done before you take up this role. Search the internet, ask your friends, ask your enemies. Search for how to be a good bridesmaid long distance in case you are living abroad and can’t make it for the wedding or search for how to be a good bridesmaid or a region specific search to know more about the various cultures and traditions.

In case you did take up the responsibility of being the bridesmaid and you have a deep seeded hatred for the bride then research how to be a bridesmaid for dummies and enjoy the interesting answers you shall receive. Happy hunting.

Amelia Graham