Polling your bridesmaids will set expectations early, and save some headaches and heartbreaks in the long run.
Image courtesy of Capture the Moment Studios
You spent HOURS on those bridesmaid proposal boxes, and your girls didn’t have to think twice before screaming “yes!” Now that you’ve got your bride tribe firmly in place, it’s time to get down to business. There are lots of moving parts to planning a wedding, and one of those parts involves getting your bridesmaids on the same page.
There are lots of things your bridal party will need to agree on — dress budgets, bachelorette locations, and bridal shower themes just to name a few. While creating a group text may seem like the easiest way to get all the information you need, in reality it’s a little more complicated. Finance talk can be a bit awkward, and some of your bridesmaids may get in over their heads if the majority approves an expense that goes beyond their means. This can lead to resentment on both sides, and may even result in your bridesmaid leaving the bridal party (or worse, the end of your friendship).
None of us want our wedding planning to be filled with drama, so the easiest way to avoid this scenario is by polling your bridesmaids.
Image courtesy of Foxlight Studios
How to poll your bridesmaids
Polling your bridesmaids? Yes, it’s a thing! Just like companies send out surveys to gather customer data, think of a bridesmaid poll as a quick profile of everyone in your bridal party. You can get all the pertinent details on money-related matters, style preferences, timeline needs, and more.
The easiest and most efficient way of polling your bridesmaids is with the Ring Leader app. All you have to do is add your bridal party, and bam! You can send them a survey on any variety of topic.
Because Ring Leader allows you to poll your bridesmaids anonymously, you’ll get honest answers about everything. So the bridesmaid that can’t swing a $400 dress and $1500 bachelorette trip won’t feel pressured when another bridesmaid okays the price! This is the best way to ensure that your entire bridal party is comfortable with each and every wedding expense.
You can also choose to poll your bridal party through something like a Google Form or an old fashioned paper ballot. But remember — you’ll need to spend time sifting through the answers and organizing the information you recieve. When you’ve got venue tours, DIY projects, and dress shopping on your agenda, you may not have enough time to play data analyst.
Image courtesy of Tino Photography
Questions to ask when polling your bridesmaids
If it relates to your bridesmaids, you can poll them on it! Here are a few example questions:
- What is your budget for a bridesmaids gown?
- Would you prefer a specific style of gown?
- Are there gown styles that you don’t feel comfortable wearing?
- What’s your budget for a bachelorette trip?
- What’s your preferred location for a bachelorette trip?
- What are your upcoming conflicts?
- What’s your dress size? Shoe size? Bust size?
- PJs or Robes for the wedding morning?
- Do you want professional hair & makeup for the wedding day?
- Are you willing to help set-up and clean up for the bridal shower?
- Are you interested in making any DIY items for wedding decor?
- Do you have any dietary preferences?
- Do you prefer silver or gold jewelry?
- Are there any wedding planning activities you’d like to help with? Are there any you’d like to avoid?
Image courtesy of Gelfman Photography
What to do after polling your bridesmaids
Once you’ve collected all the information, you’ll be ready to make some important decisions regarding your wedding. While you may have some lofty plans in mind, be sure to consider what your bridal party is willing and able to do. Making some compromises and tweaks to your original ideas, if needed, will allow everyone on board to have a great time — including you!
