We’ve seen a lot of bridezillas on Bored Panda. Like the one who requested her attendees help pay for an overseas soiree at $1,500 per head because that’s what friends are for. Or another who said nobody was allowed to talk to her during the ceremony. The list goes on.

And while we aren’t too happy about using this term in the first place, from time to time some woman shows up and convinces us that we should. At least for her. Such is the case with this very special lady. She compiled a list of 37 (!!!) rules her bridesmaids must follow in order to be included in the wedding party.

As you can imagine, the prospect seems less and less appealing with every point. So it comes as no surprise that the bridesmaids immediately started dropping out.

Image credits: Yuri_Arcurs (not the actual photo)

Michelle Lew, the owner of Lavender Crown Events, a wedding planning company servicing San Jose, Silicon Valley, and the surrounding areas, told Bored Panda that in most cases, the requests for bridesmaids don’t span any further than the bride choosing their dress colors and styles or asking for them to wear matching shoes and accessories (which are often gifted from the bride as a bridesmaids’ gift).

“Other common requests are for help on the big day and assigning tasks such as handing out vendor tips or being the point of contact for a certain vendor (if they don’t hire a coordinator),” Lew said. “Prior to the big day, the usual requests would be attendance or responsibility for the lead-up events like planning a bachelorette party or bridal shower. Of course, the maid/matron of honor has their traditional tasks of supporting the bride the most both during the planning and on the wedding day.”

But of course, there’s a line between making requests and abusing people. “Regardless of how close the bride is to her maids, there should always be an open discussion about what the bride expects help with and who’s happy and has time to assist,” Lisa Burton, aka The Bridal Consultant, who plans affordable and memorable weddings abroad in Greece and Italy, explained to us. “Problems arise when the bride takes her maids for granted. Attending a dress fitting and helping to choose accessories is much more fun than driving around collecting card/stationery samples for the bride because she’s too busy having a manicure.”

Burton said there’s also the case of the reluctant bridesmaid, those appointed due to being a family member (future sister-in-law or niece, for example). “In this case, help may not be as forthcoming and perhaps shouldn’t be expected,” she said.

“I once worked with a bride that sacked her bridesmaid (and uninvited her from the wedding). There were many issues along the way that I wasn’t privy to, but the penultimate event was the bridesmaid’s refusal to attend her last dress fitting and insulting the style of the dress,” Burton recalled.

But if the remaining 6 bridesmaids will stay and participate in the wedding, our lady should still be OK. According to wedding statistics released by online event marketplace EVENTup, today’s brides have an average of 4.5.

Image credits: Jamie Coupaud (not the actual photo)

Here’s the list

However, radical cases like this one aside, people should be more understanding when it comes to brides and their emotions. “Weddings and the planning process are highly emotional and can be extremely stressful,” Michelle Lew highlighted. “Most brides have either never truly planned a wedding before on their own (inspiration books don’t count!) or they are supported by friends and family with a lot of opinions. In either case, the stress of planning a special event increases tenfold. Most people should certainly be aware of the ‘wedding brain’ as it’s sometimes called and be supportive in high-stress moments or when large decisions are being made.”

Lisa Burton agrees. “I do think the bride should be given some patience and understanding when it comes to their emotions, we only have to imagine ourselves in their shoes and think about how we’d feel,” she said. “If you’ve never been married before, as is the case with many younger bridesmaids, this can be hard to understand. The bride has many tasks to balance.”

According to Burton, self-imposed and external expectations are the main culprits. “Balancing desires and dreams along with the reality of a budget can be tricky. There’s family politics, which we all know is no fun. Researching, meeting, and coordinating numerous suppliers, and these days, this is often alongside holding down a full-time job and maybe even bringing up a young family! It can feel overwhelming.”

No wonder all of this pressure and chaos can get the best of them. Let’s just hope that this particular bride will realize that the people around her are more important than what her wedding will look like in the photos.

Everyone is appalled by the ridiculous demands

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