We saw this posted on Get Married today and we thought it was hilarious and very insightful. So of course, we had to repost. Enjoy!
Wedding etiquette books are everywhere, but usually they deal with what the bride and groom should and shouldn't do as far as invites and ceremony seating is concerned. Unfortunately, bridesmaids are often left biting their tongues when it comes to certain tasks or expenditures that go above and beyond your typical wedding duties. So, in an effort to clarify what's OK and what's not, Get Married has drafted our own Bridesmaid Bill of Rights to shed a little light on the topic.
You Have The Right To...Take a day to decide if you're bridesmaid material. Weddings are expensive, and even moreso for members of the bridal party. Be realistic - can you really afford the dress, shoes, jewelry, plane ticket(s), hotel, shower gift, wedding gift, AND the bachelorette party?
You Don't Have The Right To...Dictate what you will and will not wear. Yes, you can make suggestions, but this is the BRIDE'S vision, and once you commit to participating in her wedding day it's up to you to help make it easier for her -- not harder.
You Have The Right To...Object to a dress you feel is overpriced. Hopefully you're close enough to the bride you can let her know what you're comfortable spending, and if that's a problem...well, you can always bow out gracefully and offer to read/sing/yodle something for her and the groom during the ceremony instead.
You Do Have the Right To...Be clear about your free time upfront. Yes, you're invested in helping out the bride and maid-of-honor, but you also have a full-time job, personal life, and other responsibilities that dictate your day-to-day tasks. Don't feel bad about not being to help out with something, but DO make it up for it down the road by taking on a project before being asked to do so.
You Don't Have the Right To...Complain about the timing of the bridal shower or bachelorette party. When it comes to bridal parties, majority rules, which means if it doesn't work for you, but everyone else is onboard...TOO BAD!
You Do Have the Right To...Suggest that entire bridal party split the expenses for the shower, shower gifts, and the bachelorette party. Unless someone in the group is still in school or unemployed, the amount should be split equally among everyone to lessen the financial burden.
You Don't Have the Right To...Object to getting your hair and make-up done.
You Do Have the Right To...Have a voice in how it's done and what products are used. If you have chemically or colored treated hair, skin allergies, acne, or a pretty good handle on what's going to work best for your hair and skin type, don't be afraid stop by the salon and speak to the stylist or makeup artist prior to your appointment.
You Do Have the Right To...Consider yourself off-duty once the bridal party is announced at the reception. Unless specifically asked beforehand, you job is to eat, drink, dance, and celebrate the day.
You Don't Have the Right To...Steal the moment. You may be the funniest person in the room, but the spotlight should never leave the bride and groom.
Content courtesy of Get Married
Monday, April 4, 2011 at 10:51AM 
We're noticing a rising trend among celebrities who are wearing colored wedding dresses. A few months ago Valerie Bertinelli decided to wear her "something blue" loud and proud by walking down the aisle in a custom blue silk chiffon gown by David Meister. Last weekend Reese Witherspoon walked down the aisle in a custom blush chantilly lace gown by Monique Lhullier. One thing both brides have in common is that they were married at their homes - Valerie at her home in Malibu and Reese at her home in Ojai. I'm not sure if hosting a home wedding gives the event a more personal feel, which in turn encourages the bride to wear a dress with a more personal feel, but it's one theory. They were also second weddings for both of them, so that too could have had something to do with the choice.
