If a friend or family member is getting married, and you’ve been chosen as a bridesmaid, you may be overjoyed. Check with the bride to see what duties she will include with your role. According to the Knot, a bridesmaid often does more than wear a big, fluffy dress and hold flowers. A bridesmaid’s duties may include helping the bride choose her dress, flowers, and wedding venue.

The bride may lose track of all the wedding details to be checked off, so you and the other ladies in the wedding party should keep a wedding checklist. You’ll want the bride to have a good wedding day, so making sure her wishes are fulfilled is part of your responsibility. Most of all, a bridesmaid is a cheerleader for the bride.

As the last month before the wedding arrives, you and the other attendants should now carry a final wedding checklist. Meet with the group to be clear about who is picking up each wedding component. One helpful role to appoint would be at least one person willing to run to the store on the Big Day to pick up last-minute things for wedding supplies.

Being a part of the bridal party is a great honor, in theory. In practice, it can be busy, stressful, and expensive, and by the time the big day comes around, you may want to burn the whole event venue to the ground. If you’ve agreed to be a bridesmaid for a friend’s wedding, you would likely do anything for her. But that commitment will likely be tested over the next year.

• Planning –
  
  It’s very exciting when a friend gets engaged, and asks you to be in the wedding. If you are the maid of honor, or live particularly close to the bride, she may bring you along to look at gowns, or tour wedding and banquet halls.
  
  When you first agree to be a bridesmaid, the obvious commitments and expenses may come to mind: the dress, the bridal shower. But before long, the expenses and responsibilities will add up: Wedding shoes, hair, decorations, gifts, travel, hotel room, etc. It’s a good idea to start setting aside money to cover wedding-related expenses.
• Parties –
  
  There are more special events involved than just the wedding. As a bridesmaid, you can look forward to engagement parties, bridal showers, and bachelorette parties. Not only will you be invited to all of these events, but you are also likely to play a large part in planning them, or at least contributing financially.
  
  While traditionally the responsibility of the bridesmaids, bridal showers can be thrown thrown by the mother of the bride, mother of the groom, coworkers etc. No matter who decides to shower the bride, you will be invited, and expected to bring a gift.
  
  Depending on the bride’s tastes, the bachelorette party can be anything from a fun night in, or a night out painting the town red. Regardless of the event venue, it will be a great opportunity for the bride to celebrate with her favorite girls by her side.
• The Big Day(s)-

If you think a bridesmaid just needs to show up in time to walk down the aisle, you are sadly mistaken. Members of the bridal party often travel to the wedding destination at least a day ahead of time, to begin celebrating. If there are last minute preparations needed at the wedding banquet hall or event venue, the bride and groom often call upon their bridal party to take care of it.

Bridesmaids must also attend the wedding rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. The rehearsal allows the bridal party an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the wedding venues. The rehearsal dinner gives the bridal party and loved ones an opportunity to celebrate before the excitement of the big day.

Throughout the whole process, the most important job of any bridesmaid is to be there for the bride. Not just physically, but emotionally as well. For as much stress as you may be dealing with, this is her big day, that she’s been planning for months, and all eyes are on her. So even if she may be acting a little bit crazy, you need to be there to help her out, and to try to keep her calm and happy. Try to keep things in perspective, and remember that on the most important day of her life, the bride has chosen you to be by her side.

Helpful research also found here.