My Bridal Party and Pre-Wedding Activities

Our wedding is over and we are having so much fun getting settled in as newlyweds! There are so many posts I want to make over the next couple of months about our big day but one that is long overdue is a post about my bridal party and some of the things we did before the wedding day.

It's funny because I feel like most people say they don't get along well with other girls. I thought like that when I was younger but I've realized in my twenties that there is nothing like girlfriends. I know so many girls that I am fortunate to call friends, but below are the 8 girls I knew I needed to stand beside me.

Kaylee

She's my younger sister by three years and we are completely different people. She's fun to be around and always has extremely interesting stories to tell. Truthfully, younger sisters are the worst. They steal all your clothes, you must bring them along to hang out with your friends, help them with their homework and drive them around everywhere because you got a license before they did. It's exhausting, but the older we get the more I appreciate our sisterhood and friendship. I still live by the words “I can say whatever I want about my sister, but you can’t.” I will always cherish our many family road trips together and she will always be the only person that understands why I have to be early to being on time (thanks for that habit, dad.)

Laney

Not only did I get to marry my best friend, Robert, but I also got another sister! I gained a new brother too (Carson - if you're reading this, I also think you’re cool, but this is just about the girls.) Laney was finishing up her senior year of high school when I first met her, and it's been awesome to see her transition into adult life. She'll soon be a married woman too! Thanks for always making me feel welcomed and allowing me to bunk with you on all our fun trips. It’s too bad we won’t get to watch British dating shows in our hotel room together anymore!

Kayla

My oldest friend. I've known her since we were in kindergarten, but we didn't officially start hanging out outside of school until we were in middle school. We've always clicked. She's funny, witty and shares my love for fashion and traveling. It’s too bad we don’t share the same shoe size ;)  Even though we live in different states now, we have always tried to see each other at least twice a year and I’m always excited to learn where her and her husband are jumping on a plane to next! My favorite memories together are when we went to the Bahamas for our high school graduation trip and the many summers of church camp!

Jacee

Jacee transferred to our high school when we were freshman and we instantly became inseparable. She's one of the only friends I have that I can tell absolutely everything to without judgment and she's always easy to talk to. Something I’ve always loved about Jacee is that she shares my passion for the Texas Rangers! I still can't believe we went all the way to Arlington to watch Ranger games by ourselves when we were 16, how did we drive that far!?! We have some wild inside jokes from high school that Facebook memories tends to bring up often and they're so eccentric that I'm embarrassed to even look at them! Regardless, I love when we get together because we pick up right where we left off.

Katie

It was the fall of 2013, my first semester at UT Dallas when I was going through recruitment and met Katie. It wasn't until our mutual friend, Clare invited both of us to high tea at the Adolphus later that year that we became friends. Shortly after we decided to move in together. She was by far the best roommate I've ever had! One thing I know for a fact though, there was not a morning that I did not annoy her but I'm glad she still likes me. Katie will always be an extremely important friend of mine, we have seen the best and worst in each other and still made it out as close friends! We have many memories together but I have to say my top 3 are randomly driving to Waco one night to eat at Health Camp, which ended up being closed so we went to Chick-Fil-A, only ever listening to Taylor Swift in the car, and when we took Jon and Stefon to Billy Bobs and they wore Sperry's and shorts.

Bailey

If you ever hang out with Bailey, you're going to have a good time. Honestly, I can't think of a single time that we have ever been bored. She's always extremely happy and up for anything! We had very similar upbringings, so we tend to see the world the same way which is probably why we get along so well. I'm so fortunate she's in my life and honestly, I have no idea how I even lived 20 years before meeting her! We have only known each other since 2014, but have experienced so much together like almost missing our flight to Los Angeles because Spirit Airlines told us the night before our 6:00 AM flight was delayed by 2 hours…only to wake up at 4:00 AM and see that our 6:00 AM flight was BACK ON!?!?! Or the time we stupidly drove to Nashville in the middle of the night – we still made it though!

Anmol

I’m extremely thankful to have been a part of Delta Delta Delta for many reasons, but one of the main reasons is because I was fortunate enough to meet someone like Anmol. She’s kind, caring, passionate, reliable, organized and many other things. We can sit at a restaurant for hours talking about different issues we are interested in such as vaccinations, the foster care system, the opioid crisis and even religion. I forgot to mention – she’s a world traveler! Every time we get together, she has either just been somewhere or is getting ready to take on her next adventure!  While we have busy schedules, this past year of us both being in Austin has been so nice.

Taylor

When I try to explain my relationship with Taylor I feel that most people do not quite comprehend how we even became friends. I met Taylor through her uncle, which happens to be one of my childhood friends, Paul. While Taylor is 5 years younger than me, it has never stopped us from being close. She’s basically another little sister to me and I’m so happy that we have held on to this bond throughout both of our high school and college careers despite going through them at different stages. Oh how I would love to go back and listen to many of our late night conversations. 

Skylar and Isabella

Lastly, shout out to the cutest flower girl around, Isabella and her mom, Skylar. Skylar and I became close friends right after I graduated high school. They are both so much fun and I love watching all of their funny videos together! Skylar - you have done an amazing job at raising Isabella. She's mature, funny, beautiful, and has a bright future ahead of her! 

Now, I'm a pretty creative person when it comes to gift giving (do not rely on me being creative when it comes to anything else though), which makes it so easy for me to do my best to spoil everyone!

You can ask Robert, I was always looking for things to give my bridal party, be it a physical thing or an experience. If you're anything like me, I encourage you to take a look at the things I did for my girls!

Getting Ready Outfits

I researched everywhere it seemed like to get ideas for getting ready outfits. Did I want robes, pajamas, flannels, oversized button up shirts? The list could go on and on, but I ended up going with the pajamas. I searched all over Etsy trying to find the perfect ones. By perfect, I mean something that looked nice and had an affordable price tag. I mean I have 8 girls in my bridal party!! I was so happy when I found these from SS Weddings. The shop was so easy to work with through the whole process and the pajamas turned out great. We ordered the Baxter PJ in champagne rose. The deal was so great I even got the mothers and flower girl a set!

Pearl Stud Earrings

Every single girl should own a set of pearl stud earrings. I found this 12 pack set on Amazon.

Bridal Party Luncheon

Something that I love doing with a group of girls no matter what age? Tea parties! I found the cutest affordable little french bistro in Plano. I'm sure we overwhelmed these poor folks, but they have a little room up front that sat all 18 of us perfectly!

Charms

I LOVE TRADITION. When we first got engaged I spent months researching every single wedding tradition there was. I then found the perfect one for all my girls, cake pull charms! It's really easy and a good laugh, you have however many charms you want and attach them to dainty ribbons and place them under the bottom layer of the cake. Usually, you have your single friends and bridesmaids take turns pulling a charm from the cake for a glimpse of what's to come in their future. I had my entire bridal party pick a charm, including Skylar. There are many different charms you may chose from on Amazon, but I went with this one. I also realized I didn't take any pictures of the cake or charms :(

Manicures and Cocktails

Afraid that all your girls will show up on the wedding day with crazy colors on their nails? Gift them with a reservation at a hip nail salon and select a couple of neutral colors that they can pick from! I wasn't really afraid that any of my bridal party would have some weird color (well except for my sister) but I've always been incredibly thankful and appreciative when the bride offers to gift manicures for her big day.

I stumbled across this place on the world wide web and WOW is all I can say. If you're in the Dallas area, just go. Cocktails, comfortable chairs, amazing products and free parking!?

Quick Tips: If it's in your budget, try to cover the cost of hair and makeup, particularly if you are requiring them to have certain styles done. Try and book some hotel rooms or an Airbnb for everyone to stay the night before and don't forget to feed everyone while getting ready!