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My girl squad

Photos | Jackie Santana Photography (unless otherwise noted)

I've been blessed with an ever-growing posse of smart, talented, independent women who I call friends. Of course, that made it incredibly hard to choose who stood by my side as I said my vows. It's not easy--but here are a few considerations that helped me narrow down the list:
  • Will bridesmaid duties be a burden on her? One of my best friends since 5th grade got married 3 weeks before me, so being in each other's weddings would've meant two stressed-out brides.
  • Is she the kind of friend who, despite distance or time, always fits back into your life? Or the person who, when something big happens, you share the news with in a phone call rather than a text? 
  • Is she someone who can be flexible and positive as plans (inevitably) change? 
  • Is she willing to help out whenever? My girls helped with last-minute paper crane escort cards a few hours before the ceremony, saving me a meltdown.  
Photo above courtesy of one of my bridesmaids

HOW I ASKED

When I look back on our wedding planning, six of my favorite moments involve asking each bridesmaid and my maid of honor in person. The times and locations were inconspicuous: a "catch-up" brunch at the Garden Table in Broad Ripple, in front of the Dairy Barn at the Indiana State Fair, even surprising one of my friends as she was packing up to move to Florida the next day. (Not surprised that most of them have a food theme, ha!) 

​I asked by handing my bridesmaids one of these cards from Etsy seller April Heather Davulcu, which were personalized to match my bridesmaids' hair color, length and style. For my maid of honor (who I've known since I was 10), I bought a sign from Big Day Shop on Etsy that read, "I'll need someone to help me bring my Pinterest vision to reality. Will you be my MOH?" (Sadly, this sign is no longer being sold, but you can find similar ones on Etsy.)
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​WEDDING WISDOM

As you can see, my bridesmaids live all over the country and, as two are doctors and one is in grad school, it was tough for them to get time off to attend showers and bachelorette parties. We scheduled the pre-wedding festivities all in one week (so only one plane flight or long drive out), and I also let them pick out their navy bridesmaid dresses (with approval from me) at reasonable price points and in styles that they would wear again.
If they're important enough to stand by your side on your wedding day, treat them in a way that they'll still be by your side after the wedding, too.


​BRIDAL PARTY GIFTS

I'm a sentimental sap, so of course my gifts to my bridesmaids and MOH were going to be full of nostalgia. Thanks to an Instagram ad, I discovered the Coordinates Collection's series of personalized jewelry with geographical coordinates of anywhere in the world. Each bridal party member received the gold-plated Nile bracelet with their name engraved in script font on one side and the coordinates of the place we met on the other: elementary school playground, high school speech team practice room, university campus, my sister-in-law's home. (Told you I'm sentimental.)