32 Ways to Ask Your Friends to be Bridesmaids

by Danielle Andrews Sunkel

Congratulations to all the newly-engaged brides out there.  We at the Wedding Planners Institute of Canada decided to compile our favourite unique and fun ways to ask your friends to be your bridesmaids.

“I would invite my girls out for afternoon tea at a nice hotel like Windsor Arms or Royal York and ask the server to put one of these spoons at the table setting.

I also like this card very much too: I couldn’t say ‘I Do’ without you!”

-Carmen Luk, of Devoted to You in Toronto, Ontario

 

“My simple idea would be to have my girls over for Chinese food with fortune cookies and have the question inside the cookie (extra special if you make the cookies yourself ).  My friends know how much I like Chinese food for 2 reasons, it sooo good! and it reminds me of Friday dinners when I was a child, my dad (no longer with us) would always buy Chinese for dinner… and now you all know too!’

-Gaitree Shivnauth of Plan My Day, Weddings & Events in Toronto, Ontario

“I like the basic card idea:
Outside of card – ‘I found a man, but still need my girls’
Inside card – ‘Will you be my bridesmaid?’

I also like the “I Choo Choo choose you” card.  Adorable!”

– Amira Harris, Wedding Planner & Designer for Posh Productions Event Planning & Design Inc in Calgary, Alberta.

 

“Write a heart felt letter telling the person why you wish they would be in your wedding party.
For example:
Dear Jackie
You were present at all of my parties. No matter how busy you were you made time for my party. Now I am having the most important party/event of my life. Will you honour me and attend this important party/event as my maid of honour/bridesmaid.
Love your cousin and friend,
Sherry”

–Sherry Vanhoorne of Wedding Passion in Toronto, Ontario

 “I think this idea is super-cute!  The bride could take her friends to lunch, stage a proposal scene or just send the boxes to her friends’ homes.

I was really boring, I just called my friends or asked them in person.

I was with my sister when her husband proposed, so he asked her and she said ‘Yes!”  Then she turned to me and said, ‘Danny will you be my Maid of Honour?’  So we both got proposed to that day, but next time I’m asked, I want a ring pop!”

-Danielle Andrews Sunkel, President of The Wedding Planners Institute of Canada and Owner of The Wedding Planners in Toronto & Markham, Ontario.

 

“I definitely think it should fit in with your style and interests and do it while doing something you and your girlfriends love.

• Make alternate arrangements with a tattoo artist to place a customized, fake tat on your back. Ask your girls to come with you and for the big reveal, have ‘Will you be my bridesmaids?’ on your back. They can place this while prepping or ask your girlfriends come back in a bit.
• Watch a movie in an intimate setting like the Varsity VIP and make arrangements to have a clip played during previews where you can have a trivia about who you would like your bridesmaids to be.
• Go see a local band and have them announce something or call you up

On a simpler note, that doesn’t need much in terms of prep….

• bake them cupcakes or a cake and ask them in icing
• have a jewellery party and propose to them”

-Cendi Micor of Immortal Weddings in Toronto, Ontario

 

 

“I asked mine with a purple bag of goodies and a comic strip about bridesmaids. The bags had a photo of the comic and ‘will you be my bridesmaid?'”

-Jennifer Borgh of Jennifer Borgh Events in Toronto, Ontario

 

 

 

“My sister had flowers (her wedding flowers of course) delivered to me with just a note saying “Will you be my Maid of Honor?”  I of course knew who it was from and very excitedly called her to say YES!”

-Danielle DeCorby of Big Top Tent Rentals in Edmonton, Alberta

“I absolutely LOVE these!  A Chocolate Couture LolliDress with a gift tag saying: Will you be my bridesmaid?

If I was the bride this is what I would probably do:
Put together a sentimental/cute & funny video of me and all my friends I would like to be bridesmaids.  I would include pictures, me talking about memories and funny moments, inside jokes, any video or audio clips I have of us having fun, fave songs etc.
Then I would have a ‘Girls Night In’ with those ladies to watch some movies. Once we are all settled in I would go to put in the movie but it would be the video I made instead. I would go to turn off the lights and let the video play.  While they are watching I will be getting the champagne, glasses and cheesecake.  At the end of the video (on the actual video) I would ask them to be my bridesmaids!
Once they said yes, I’d pop the cork and pour some champagne and bring out the cheesecake that says ‘Cheers to My Beautiful Bridesmaids! Love Your Cheesy Bride!’
My friends would totally love this & say its totally me!  Its a great way to really personalize it too!”

-Dawn Fillion, of Pick Me, Choose Me, Love Me Weddings in Hamilton, Ontario

 

“I would send a bottle of sparkling wine to each girl with a note that says.. ‘Another question simply needs to be popped, will you be my bridesmaid?’
Or one of these adorable bottles.”
-Liz Scheniman, of GUSH Events in Toronto, Ontario

“This would be my ideal setting if I was the bride:
I will be taking the girls to 360′ restaurant with lobster n steak dinner by the window…while having dessert, a plane flies by the window with a huge banner ‘Will you be my bridesmaids on 03.03.12?’  I would pop the question to my bridesmaids where my husband proposed.  If they were part of my wedding, they should also be part of the proposal story.”

-Sheryl Hammond, of Bella Chic Events in Mississauga, Ontario

 

 

 “I like these DIY cards or this idea.”

-Maria Badian, of Envision Elegance Weddings & Events in Toronto, Ontario

 

 

 

 

“Create a mini photo book of some photos of you and your future bridesmaid. On the last page have a postcard or little note explaining how important they are to you and asking them to be your bridesmaid.”

-Danielle Deebank, of Dreamstyle Weddings in Guelph, Ontario

Source: Chic Wedding Boutique

“The bride could plan a girls movie night, watching ‘My Best Friend’s Wedding’, and then when the movie is over she could ask the girls to be her bridesmaids while giving all the girls a gift like a “Bridesmaid” t-shirt like this one.”

-Laura Scott, of {tula events} in Toronto, Ontario

 

“Send your friend the DVD of the ‘Bridesmaids’ movie and ask them to be your bridesmaid.”

-Karim Shivji of The Wedding Guy in Toronto, Ontario

 

 

“Hanky Panky makes these great (I hate this word) panties that say ‘Bridesmaid’ and ‘Maid of Honor’ in crystals.

I would wrap them up in a cute little box and give them to all the girls with a note that says ‘Getting married without you by my side would be like going commando. It just doesn’t feel right!'”
-Amy Maier, of Head Over Heels Wedding & Event Planning in Edmonton, Alberta

 

“You could do a games night and act it out when playing sherades or spell it out in scrabble.”
-Carol Rame of Carol Rame Events in Hamilton, Ontario

“I love to be super crafty, so I think it would be special to make a small scrapbook for each girl you ask. Pages could be filled with photos of you together, and journaling of your favorite memories on the last page only include the title asking her to stand up with you on your wedding day, leaving a blank space for a wedding photo of both of you!   (If you’re not a ‘scrapbooker’ many craft stores sell ready-made books that you only add photos and ‘journaling.’)”

-Kalynn Warren, of Proposals Wedding and Event Planning in Winnipeg, Manitoba

“I like to be humorous about it, how about compiling several pics of the most hideous bridesmaids dresses you can find.  Then ask them if they would do you the honor of being your bridesmaid & asking them to pick their favorite dress.  Then when they have made their pick, ensure them that they will NOT have to wear any of those dresses and see the relief in their faces, then go out for cocktails to celebrate!”
-Tracy Nolan, of First Comes Love Weddings & Floral Designs in the Durham Region, Ontario

“My friend, (who is also WPIC,) wrote each of us a card, reminiscing about the past and our friendship, then at the end asked, ‘Will you be my bridesmaid?’  She also gave each of us a picture with us and the bride many years ago. I loved that idea. I keep the picture and the card on a shelf in my bedroom.

On the outside of a card you can have a a few dresses, some ugly some pretty, on the inside, have it say, ‘Got room in your closet for a dress you’ll never wear again?’ Followed by, ‘Will you be my bridesmaid?’  Or, on the inside it can say, ‘The best thing is, you can shorten it and wear it again!’ Followed by, ‘Will you be my bridesmaid?'”
-Kim Choy, of Morganley Weddings  in Toronto, Ontario

“Definitely for a Destination Wedding, but I think a great idea would be to have it spelled out on the sand and then get an aerial shot of the message on the sand asking ‘Will you run away with me?’ and design a card to ask if they will be your bridesmaid?

Another really neat idea that one of my client’s did was a video clip talking about all the best girls in the world with a little story about a special moment with her and each of her girls and then asking them to be a bridesmaid…”
-Ophellia McKnight, of Bridal Affair Destinations in Toronto, Ontario

 

“For me it has to be our ‘Shoe Shopping Sessions meets Mr.BIG!’ Take your girls out for shoe shopping, get down on your knees, pop the question and then seal it with a shoe……how can a girl ever say no to that! (will guarantee you lots of screaming, tons of tears, and of course a YES!)”
-Abeera Zia of Abee Sam Luxury Weddings in Mississauga, Ontario

“For me, I love flowers. So a bouquet of beautiful flowers bundled together with the words asking the question written on the ribbon.”
-Antonella Cerminara, of your day made simple in Toronto, Ontario

Source: emmalinebride.com

“Take her/them out on a date night…watch a chick flick at the theatre together. Make all the girls wear hideous hats or tiaras. Give each of them one of those candy bracelets or necklaces, with a note/card attached. Promise them much nicer jewellery for the wedding, and then ask if they’ll be your bridesmaids.”
-Jacquie Swadi, of One Sweet Day in Peel Region, Ontario

“Get them each a small piece of jewellery that could be worn at the wedding. It doesn’t have to be anything expensive, you could even make them yourself. Then, give them the jewellery with a simple, heartfelt note on how much they mean to you, and why you want them to be your bridesmaid. If the piece is small and light enough, you could even do this with bridesmaids who live far away through regular post mail.”
-Holly Dance, of First Dance Weddings and Events in Toronto, Ontario