Stressed out brides can now pay to hire a professional bridesmaid

After attending her 17^th wedding in two years, Tiffany Wright had something of a lightbulb moment. The common theme in every wedding she’d been to was, without a doubt, stressed-out brides.

But though in theory there were bridesmaids on hand to ease the bridal burden, after chatting to her friends Tiffany discovered that the brides-to-be often felt too guilty to ask their bridesmaids for help.

So she decided to set up a company offering her services as a professional bridesmaid carrying out the duties brides feel too bad asking their friends to do. And thus the Undercover Bridesmaid was born.

“I’m like a Bridal PA, stress buster, shoulder to cry on and to-do list sergeant major all in one,” Tiffany says of her new role as a professional bridesmaid.

Looking back at her own wedding the romance expert, who also runs proposal planning company, The One Romance, realised just how helpful an undercover bridesmaid would have been.

“When I was getting ready I realised that my strapless bra was REALLY uncomfortable. I would have loved to have asked one of my bridesmaids to rush out to the shops and grab me a different one, but I also didn’t want them to miss out on the ‘getting ready’ part of the day,” she says. “It made me think that if I had had someone who wasn’t a close friend, but was still able do bridesmaid duties then I would have had no problem asking them to help me out with the bra situation!”

While the wedding planner liases with the venue and the traditional bridesmaids concentrate on getting ready, Tiffany will run errands for the bride. She’ll also offer her services as a hen party organiser and maid of honour, writing speeches and dealing with other wedmin.

Since launching her new company Tiffany has performed undercover bridesmaid duties at several weddings, with the diary already filling up with more next year. And despite being asked to carry out some pretty tricky tasks, she’s totally unflappable.

“I once had to plonk myself down between the bride’s divorced parents to stop them having a screaming match mid ceremony! I also had to order an Uber to collect a groom and usher from the stag do that ended at 8am, with the wedding starting at 12,” she says.

But it’s often the brides themselves who can present the biggest challenge. “It’s knowing how to deal with different types of brides.” She explains. “You have the ‘Bridezilla’ who wants everything done on spreadsheets, daily updates etc and then you have the BrideCHILLA who is so chilled she has literally done nothing to plan her wedding, so I have to explain patiently that with just two weeks to go its probably time to book the church. With every wedding I learn something new.”

So having turned going to weddings into an actual career, who better to give us the do’s and don’ts of being a blooming brilliant bridesmaid?

Do’s

Say ‘how high’ when the bride says ‘jump.’ If you are going to be a good bridesmaid you need to prepare to go to extreme lengths to keep your bride happy. I have had to run out minutes before the start of a service to get a mini deodorant for one bride who was sweating from nerves and had to lend another my shoes after her own broke.

Get ready to spend a bit of money. With the hen do, shoes, accessories…there’s always a cost involved in being a bridesmaid. Make sure you budget well in advance so you don’t get a nasty shock.

Be an emotional shoulder to cry on. Planning a wedding is stressful for any bride so make sure you are there when she really needs you – even if it is at 2am in the morning when she is having a meltdown about seating plans.

Make the bride feel like ‘A Big Deal.’ Her wedding is one of the biggest events of her life, so spoil the crap out of her. Email/text/call with countdowns to the big day, send flowers or a note to remind them their day is approaching, get access to their wedding night hotel room and sprinkle rose petals on the bed and add a bottle of champagne. She will appreciate it, promise!

Don’ts

Accept the role unless you are completely invested. Being a bridesmaid takes up a lot of your time and effort (bridesmaid dress fittings, hen do arranging, last minute bands etc!). Make sure you can be fully committed before you say ‘I will!’

Forget your emergency bridesmaid kit. Every bridesmaid should have one. Mine consists of hair clips, blister plasters, rescue remedy, lip balm, deodorant and mints.

Change your look at the last minute. Suddenly deciding to chop off all your hair and dye it bright red the night before the wedding is NEVER a good idea.

Post pictures on social media without the brides consent. Some brides don’t want their wedding splashed all over the Internet for everyone to see.

For more on the services Tiffany offers as an Undercover Bridesmaid check out her Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Would you like to have had an undercover bridesmaid at your wedding? Let us know @YahooStyleUK

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