7 Ways Your Wedding Party Can Bond
The members of your wedding party may not know each other – especially if they’re from out-of-town. But having a group of strangers meet up on your wedding day to celebrate your nuptials can get awkward. Here are a few ways your wedding party can bond before the big day!
Just the Bridesmaids
Black Dog Photo Co.
Getting a group of girls together risks the possibility of drama. If you want all your bridesmaids to get along and become friends, consider some of these bonding activities!
Gown Shopping
Whether it’s shopping for your wedding dress, their bridesmaid dresses, or even the accessories (who doesn’t love shoe shopping?), you’re bound to have fun trying on fancy outfits and modeling for each other. Beware, though, that everyone has opinions which could cause some tension. Keep things light and make sure all the girls are included and having fun!
Attend a Today’s Bride Show
A Today’s Bride Show is the perfect place for you and your girls to unite and bond. They’ll feel involved in your wedding planning process, plus they’ll get to taste test catering samples, cake samples, attend a fashion show, help you pick out your dream gown, and just have fun! One great way to bring you all together even more is by passing out Bridesmaid and Maid of Honor shirts, sashes, or pins so they feel important and appreciated!
Check out the upcoming show dates here!
DIY Party
While we advise you to beware of the many downsides to DIY, if you do decide to DIY an aspect of your wedding, you should definitely ask your friends for help. Dedicating a Saturday to 80s chick flicks, pizza, popcorn, and cocktails, while making crafts is a great way to share stories and create inside jokes with one another! It’ll make your party much more comfortable helping each other get ready on the morning of the wedding.
Bridesmaids and groomsmen
Cirino Photography
If you want both sides of your wedding party to become friends or, at the very least, be able to carry on a conversation at the dinner table, we have a few options for bonding that both the guys and the girls will enjoy!
Organize a relaxed get together!
We know you’re already organizing an entire wedding, but focusing your attention on a smaller party will take the stress of your wedding details off your mind and will result in almost instant gratification! Invite the members of your wedding party to your house for a small get together. Set a theme, like Mexican or Greek, and tell each person to bring a dish of some kind -entree, appetizer, side dish, dessert, or beverage (and no, a 2-liter of Coke doesn’t count!), Or, ask everyone to bring their favorite board game and spend the night battling it out over Yahtzee or Twister,. Beware, though, Monopoly can get very competitive (and last forever). Don’t say we didn’t warn you…
A night like this is sure to bring about lots of laughs and conversation.
Volunteer
Organizing your group to help out the community is a wonderful way bond. Not only will they get to know each other and work together, but they’ll share the feeling of knowing that they helped someone in need. That feeling of doing good and giving back can connect people for a lifetime. Look into your local Salvation Army, church, humane society or other pet shelter, or anywhere else you know of to see what kind of group activities you can take part in.
If members of your party live out-of-town/state
LMAC Photography
When members of your party live out-of-town or state, it can be difficult and expensive for them to make the trip up for a bonding experience. Instead, consider one of these options the weekend of or a few days before your wedding.
Mani-Pedis
If one or more of your bridesmaids lives out-of-town, wait to get your nails done until the weekend of your wedding. Have everyone get together for a mini-spa day where you can prepare for the weekend’s festivities together and get to know each other a bit before walking down the aisle. Just make sure the spa has enough pedicure bowls for everyone; you don’t want one of your bridesmaids to feel left out of the fun.
Day on the Town
Plan a day for everyone to enjoy a few days before your wedding! Out-of-towners will love to learn a little bit about your city and see some of the hotspots! Plan a day at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, touring the city (be sure to stop at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Pro Football Hall of Fame), or exploring the city through a bar crawl!
If you still haven’t chosen your wedding party, check out this blog for some guidance! Once you’ve decided on and asked your bridesmaids and groomsmen, make sure they’re all introduced before any of the pre-ceremony parties. Use one of the ideas above or come up with your own way to have your party meet and bond!
