Being a Bridesmaid For The First Time

Every first time is always unforgettable and different. It is like trying out things that you never thought you would ever do.

Or should I say, I'm always a friend, never a bridesmaid, Haha!

My friend Michelle set her date for her big day on June 30, 2019, and when she asked me to be one of her bridesmaids, I said yes because it is something that I consider a true honor.

To be honest, I don’t actually know Michelle super well, but the groom just happens to be my boyfriend's friend and churchmate, so I was a little bit shocked and my mind went blank after reading her personal message. It had been an OMG! moment.

Exciting-but confusing. 

I could still remember asking my Mother about what to do and what to prepare. And Ohh! I even asked my boyfriend if should I buy this and that. I think they call that moment as the excitement of being asked.

It was physically demanding. 

I don't have anything to say about the bride's bridal shower because unfortunately, I was not able to attend the party as I had a prior commitment that day that I must keep.
The ceremony commenced at 3 p.m. It was time for us to get ready.

One of the fun elements in weddings they say is the dance. That means, there's a dance production and we are required to attend the practice that involves hours.

I am a pretty introverted person that prefers not to talk much and socialize with other people. I hate activities that involve some type of contact with humans. I'm struggling with some degree of shyness or social anxiety, so when I was required to attend the practice for the wedding, I found it exhausting and draining.

But that doesn’t mean I did not enjoy the practice. Not long after the first hour of rehearsal, I got acclimated to doing it because my boyfriend was there and I felt that I shouldn't just think of myself because the focus should be on helping the bride to make her wedding fun and unforgettable.

My bridesmaid question got answered - should bridesmaids pay for their own dress?

That depends on the bride as well as the bridesmaids. Paying for a bridesmaid's dress is not an obligation of the bride. Paying for your own dress is the least you can do to help the couple on such a costly event as their wedding. There's nothing wrong with it. I think what was nice is that I would be able to wear the dress again to another occasion because it's my own dress. 

Excited and Nervous on the Big Day. 

I got up at 6:30 a.m. excited. Packed all my things. I had to be at Manila Grand Opera Hotel at 9 a.m. where the preparations started so it gave me plenty of time. 

I usually feel shy and feel awkward in new situations so when I arrived at the hotel, my nerves were skyrocketing upon seeing a bunch of people. Some that I know, some that I’ve never met before, some that I’ve been connected with through a friend of a friend. Since I had not yet been a bridesmaid before, I felt that I was an outsider at that moment. I don't have a pretty good idea of what to do, where to go, or where to start. There were so many things running through my head at that time. 

Did my Own Make Up

Around an hour later, it was time for us to have our hair and makeup done and since I wanted to look simple, with less makeup and more myself, instead of looking clownish, I decided to do my own makeup and hair even if I'm totally not confident with makeup application skills. Still, I wanted to be sure, so I asked someone to help me with my eye color and eyebrows and had someone to straighten the back of my hair. Well, the experience turned out to be a successful one. Some people told me how natural I looked, which was a big compliment to me. 

Helped the Bride

After doing our makeup and getting dressed up, we bridesmaids were asked to assist and help the bride if need be. I spent a few minutes running errands for the bride. These included helping other members of the bride get ready and locating much-needed items such as a pen and a comb? 

The maid of honor helped the bride with everything wedding related. Well, aside from being the bride's right hand, the maid of honor was the one who lead the pre-wedding event. I salute the maid of honor (Mela) for her energy and dedication but it made me never want a big wedding. Haha! 

Stressed out but ended up loving the Pre-wedding photo session.

There was a photo shoot before heading to the event place. The picture-taking session took so long. It was fun yet stressful. The hotel room was a good place but it was too crowded. It was hard for the photographer to take pictures because people especially kids were just passing by. Good thing, the photographer and her team members had managed to capture the fun and natural photos despite the slight inconvenience. I really enjoyed the photoshoot I did with the bride and other bridesmaids. It was such a good icebreaker for our group.

Stunned by Surprise

Around 1 p.m. we made our way to the wedding place. I was stunned by surprise by the beautiful venue. It's a place for the ceremony and a place for the reception. The wedding flowers, beautiful lighting, light-toned chairs, and tables, and the white-lined wedding aisle added to the charm of the wedding venue. I was smiling like an idiot while looking at the place. 

The weather wasn’t great, as it was raining. But the photographer still managed to take some photographs outside.

One of the loveliest walks of my life

One of the most exciting parts of every wedding is walking down the aisle. As for me, I considered it as one of the loveliest walks of my life because I and my boyfriend (groomsman) walked down the aisle together. It was such a beautiful moment. Kilig!

Big thanks to the bride and groom for putting us together! Good thing, my boyfriend was really tall and I'm really short. 😊

It was a simple and lovely Christian wedding ceremony; the family of the bride and the groom delivered their messages which were very heart-warming and emotional both at the same time.

OH, MY HEART!!!  This gave me all the feels! 

I was very focused during the exchanging of vows when the groom placed the ring on the bride and the wedding kiss. The feels! for the first time in years, I witnessed a beautiful wedding ceremony. I cannot wait to have my wedding too (At God's perfect time)

All in all, it was a wonderful and memorable experience as a first-time bridesmaid. I am so honored to be part of the most special day of a friend and witnessed the start of something beautiful.

Best Wishes Michelle and Carlo. All the best!