When people think about getting married, they often think about how the bride is the centre of attention and how everyone can make her life easier. Of course, this is a true and central theme for most weddings. When you are the one who has been proposed to and you are the one planning the wedding, the comfort of your guests will be on the forefront of your mind. Think about it, a wedding is not just for the bride and the groom. The bride and groom are making plans to host a day that is perfect for everyone else, more than being perfect for themselves. The celebration of a marriage is something exciting and should be shared as much as possible. Your immediate wedding party members stand by your side through it all, and your bridesmaids are the most central support system you are going to have through all the wedding stress you’re about to cope with. In-law issues, venue pressures and wedding dress shopping are all part of wedding day fun.

The important thing to remember, is that while your bridesmaids are rallying around you to support you and make sure that your wedding day goes off without a hitch, you notice. You have to notice the effort that they are going to put into you and your day and you have to be as supportive to them as they are being to you. While they are there to hold your Morilee Madeline Gardner dress up while you pee after the ceremony, and while they are there to host the perfect bachelorette party, you should consider the way that you can make life easier for them throughout the whole wedding process. For this, we’ve put together some of the best ways that you can make their life easier, so that your wedding isn’t a huge chore for them and is enjoyable all round.

Respect

Your bridesmaids are more than just frilly bridesmaids. They have lives outside of your wedding, families and children to think about and while they have the amazing honour of being your bridesmaid, that doesn’t mean their lives stop outside your big day. Be careful and mindful of their schedules and their commitments and try and schedule fittings that suit everyone. You read the stories about bridezillas who demand weight loss and no children at their big day, and you don’t need to be one of those brides! While it’s your day, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be considerate in your timings and a little respect goes an awfully long way.

Opinion

You have envisioned this day your whole life, but when you imagined six sugar plum fairy bridesmaids, you were only four. The women that you choose to stand with you on the biggest day of your life are presumably women that you care about, so that means making them look good. This means asking them for their opinions on the dresses that you would like them to wear. Not all of your bridesmaids are going to have the same body type, which means dress shapes may differ. Having uniform colours that suit everyone is far more important than having matching dresses in the front of the church. Ask for their input and make a point of listening to their opinions about shoes and flowers to go with the dresses, too.

Direction

While we’re on the topic of overall wedding looks, think about how much input you want your bridesmaids to have. If you’re pretty laid back about how dictating hairstyles and shoes, give your bridesmaids more of a freedom to choose. Dealing with different personalities during a wedding can be difficult, and you should be making life easy for yourself as well as everyone else around you. You don’t have to be a dictator, but sharing a Pinterest wedding board to gauge ideas is a good way to understand personal style.

Gifts

Your bridesmaids would have held your hand throughout your relationship up to the point of marriage. They will also have been there next to you to calm you down when your mother-in-law tries to take over the plans for the big day. Your bridesmaids are your sisters and they are invaluable to you. This means that they deserve a gift! They are putting a lot of time, effort and even their own cash into your big day, so being thankful for that means going one more step beyond just a round of applause during the speeches. Call them out on your wedding website, make them feel like the VIPs with a procession of flowers and Pandora bracelets during the wedding reception. No matter their relationship status, give them the choice of a plus one and if you have the funds, put them up in the hotel for the night with their families. These women are your support system – and you are theirs.

Honesty

If there is one thing that bridesmaids truly appreciate, it’s honesty. Don’t assume that your girls know everything that there is to know about being a bridesmaid, and don’t assume that they can read your mind and know what you want and when you want it. Take them all out for a meal and talk through the ideas you have for your day. Bounce around their ideas and see how many that you can pull out of the hat and put together. Make sure that they’re aware of potentially difficult guests and tell them about any worries or concerns you have for the big day. Honest brides gain respect, and you can get that very quickly with a little effort.

You are a bride, and you need support. But that doesn’t mean you cannot support others around you. Hire a great makeup and hair artist and let the bridesmaids in your wedding feel like princesses for a day. You don’t have to balance out who spends what, just ensure that your bridesmaids don’t feel like you’re taking them for granted. Be a brilliant bride, and when it comes to your turn to support them, they will return the favour. Guaranteed.