Wedding Planner

When attending bridal fairs, be the one to collect the information, carry the bags of handouts and fill out all the ballots for giveaways, allowing the bride to spend more time looking and asking questions.

Offer to help stick address labels and stamps on the envelopes for wedding invitations, as well as thank you notes for shower and wedding gifts.

On the day of the wedding, show up at the bride's house with a tray of cheese and crackers or other small snacks. After all, you may not get time to eat all day.

Bring along a camera or video camera to record the bride as she gets ready for the wedding.

For photographs, help ensure the bride looks her best by straightening out her dress, puffing up her bouquet, and touching up her make-up.

Instead of just making a speech at the reception, show a slide show of old photos of the two of you, present her with a gift, sing her a song, or write a poem about your friendship.

At the wedding, designate yourself the official party maker and get people up and dancing. Be sure to dance with her single uncle or anyone else whom the bride is worried may not be having a good time.

Don't leave the wedding early! The ideal bridesmaid is one of the last people to leave the party so be prepared to stay as long as it takes.

Help with the cleanup. Whether it is at three in the morning or the next day, don't leave this for the bride to do herself. When cleaning up be sure to save some mementos for the bride such as a centerpiece, wedding favors left behind, ceremony programs, etc.