SouthernBelleJM, June 29, 2011 2:44 pm   Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply My bridesmaids have always been my best friends. A few I met in undergrad, and a few I met in grad. Needless to say, we always have fun and end up in some kind of trouble, but there are no other girls I'd like to hang out with than them. They're great:)

Emma P., June 29, 2011 2:53 pm   Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply My bridesmaids are my sister and future sister-in-law. My sister has been such a wonderful person to grow up with; she's funny, kind, unconditionally supportive, pushes me to become the best person I can be and is one of the best travel buddies I could have. My future sister-in-law has been the person to most welcome me into my new family and really make me feel accepted. From Project Runway marathons to starting Thursday night family dinners, she has truly included me for everything fun!

Rebecca, June 29, 2011 3:03 pm   Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply I am absolutely so lucky to be able to surround myself with the women who are my bridesmaids. They are all gorgeous, courageous, smart, and talented women!

Davonne, June 29, 2011 3:20 pm   Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply My bridesmaids rock! They have been my bffs since college and we have been through thick and thin together and they always keep me laughing. I love those girls.

Danielle, June 29, 2011 3:20 pm   Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply Asking my bridesmaids to be in my wedding has been one of the best parts of the whole process for me. I couldn't wait to have them be a part of the whole thing! A sister, high school friends, and college friends, I couldn't ask for a better group of girls. They are all amazing and beautiful!

Clara G, June 29, 2011 3:34 pm   Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply My bridesmaids consist of 3 best friends from childhood and 3 from college. From marathons of Mary-Kate and Ashley movies to a spontaneous midnight trip to New Orleans (just to get breakfast), these women bring a never-ending amount of fun and laughter to my life!!

Miranda M, June 29, 2011 3:50 pm   Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply These are really cute and have a great beachy feel!

Amanda Zerra, June 29, 2011 4:01 pm   Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply I had both bridesmaids and 'bridesmen' who have made my life incredibly fun and full. I wanted to make sure my Bridal Party consisted of life long friends, people I knew I would keep in touch with 20 years from now. My Matron of Honor was my best friend who is also my cousin, my Bridesmaids consisted of 2 of my best friends since childhood. My brothers and 'cousin in law' were 'Bridesmen' (they accepted, with zero hesitation amidst all the teasing)! We are all a close knit group of friends and family who have been through so much together, happiness, sadness and craziness! They have made my life so much more pleasant by simply being there for me and my now my husband for many, many years! Couldn't have asked for a better group!

madelynne miller, June 29, 2011 4:02 pm   Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply I have a bridesmaid in Houston, TX, one in Charleston, SC, one in Birmingham, AL, one in Auburn, AL, one in Tuscaloosa, AL, and one in Dothan, AL. They come from college, high school, sibling (sister), and work. I love all of my girls because they provide different perspectives, advice, and experience. I can't wait to share my day with some of the best friends ever!

lindsey, June 29, 2011 4:12 pm   Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply my bridesmaids are the best!!! they surprised me with a bach party out in vegas and just threw me the most amazing shower ever. anytime they around we have a blast just hanging out and chatting... i would love to use these gorgeous vases to show my appreciation for them!

Vicky, June 29, 2011 4:22 pm   Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply My matron of honor has been my best friend for almost 20 years. She has been my cheerleader, my greatest supporter and really, the most awesome friend you could ask for. I can go to her for anything and she's been nothing but amazing during the wedding planning process. My other bridesmaids are friends I've met over the past four or five years and the bond I have with them is wonderful. In high school and college I didn't have a lot of girl friends or I didn't get very close with them but these ladies showed me how wonderful girlfriends can be and that you need some in your life. Just like my best friend, I can count on them for a shoulder to cry on, to be there when I need a pick me up and to celebrate life's joys and successes. I don't mean to sound like a Hallmark card or a Lifetime movie but I am so honored to have them in my life and can't imagine anyone else standing by my side on the day I say "I do".

Vicky, June 29, 2011 4:36 pm   Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply My matron of honor is truly the best friend anyone could ask for--and I'm so glad she's my best friend. I don't know what I'd do without her and she's been amazing through this whole wedding planning process. The rest of my bridal party are friends I have been able to count on through the years to celebrate life and our successes as well as being able to go to them when life hasn't been so sweet. I am so grateful they will be there, standing by my side as I say "I do".

Kristen, June 29, 2011 4:39 pm   Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply I don't know what I would do without my bridesmaids! They are my closest friends and have been by my side through it all. And they all offer a little something different making them the perfect group. I love them all!

Liz, June 29, 2011 5:26 pm   Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply I live in the UK, and my bridesmaids are spread between three countries and various states, but they absolutely always make time for us to catch up. I've seen them more than my family in the four years I've lived abroad! They work so hard to make sure that our friendships stay strong. They are all strong women who are following their passions, and I'm proud of them!

Kim, June 29, 2011 7:37 pm   Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply My bridesmaids have been there for me through all the big moments in my life, and I could not imagine not having them by my side for the biggest day yet! My sister is my MOH, and we've been best friends since I had to give up my only-child title when she was born :) Another girl has been my best friend since high school, and we've remained close even after all traveling to colleges in different states. Another is my best friend from college, who was my roommate when I met my man, and we both weathered long distance relationships together. My last girl is my fiance's sister, who I cannot wait to share a last name with! All of these girls are such strong, wonderful women, and I am so blessed to have met each and every one of them.

Jessica, June 29, 2011 8:57 pm   Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply I love my bridesmaids! Well, in my case, they're my entire wedding party, but my fiance and I met them all seven years ago and love them to pieces. From helping me prank my fiance (we covered his desk in origami) to some crossing the country with us, I can't imagine life without them.

Brittany, June 29, 2011 9:00 pm   Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply My bridesmaids have been so amazing! From being there to talk about wedding troubles to thinking up deign ideas to just drinking a glass of wine together. Surrounding yourself with people who love you and your fiance is especially important as the wedding day gets closer and things get crazier. It's always nice to have someone to lean on.

Tara, June 29, 2011 10:27 pm   Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply I have the best bridesmaids, especially my sister and best friend. They have worked together, and with the help of the other 3 girls, given me the most special bridal shower and have planned a weekend beach getaway for us this weekend. My sister is 7 1/2 months pregnant now, and she's still putting in every effort to make this time special for me. I am so lucky to have her and the rest of them.

Elizabeth M, June 29, 2011 10:36 pm   Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply As I have read the other posts above I must admit it truly made me remember why I chose the ladies I did to be my bridesmaids. My bridesmaids are way more than just a part of my wedding party they are all an extension of my family. I consider them all to be one of my sisters. Two of them have been in my life and have been life long friends since they days we were born over 25 years ago. My other bridesmaid I met 10 years ago when I moved to Atlanta. Through the wedding planning process they have been really supportive. They have given me great advice on wedding planning and surviving it and are constantly there anytime I need another females opinion. Even though we all live in different cities across the Southeast now they are all always there for me. They give me advice, oheer me up, and are always up for a good time doing just about anything. My friends and I have always been there for each other. We have a sisterly bond that will never end. With them it has and always will be for better or worse for richer or poorer in sickness and in health till death do us part.

Erin, June 29, 2011 11:44 pm   Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply My bridesmaids keep me sane and dance like fools to make me laugh!

Erin, June 30, 2011 7:20 am   Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply These vases are beautiful! My bridesmaids are all wonderful women, all stretched out across up and down the East coast yet they each have made an extra special effort to be there for me at different steps throughout this process, whether it's flying down from Philadelphia to Charleston to help me try on dresses, driving across South Carolina to spend a special 4th of July weekend with me (I'm so EXCITED) or plotting and planning an awesome stock the bar party for me back home in Virginia. These girls are the BEST and they deserve the best. I also think these vases would be a perfect gift for my mother and my fiance's mom. Both of those two have been so amazing and supportive and helpful, and I would love to give them something to say thank you, I have been looking and looking!! They would adore these!!

Linden, June 30, 2011 9:00 am   Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply Where do I start? My matron of honor is my sister- my best friend, partner-in-crime, and constant playmate growing up! We pretended we were princesses in fairytales, spent countless hours playing in the pool, and have had our fair share of disagreements too. Then there are my two best college friends- we all lived together senior year and travelled the world together when we studied abroad in New Zealand. I climbed the Sydney Bridge with these girls, jumped off cliffs and out of planes with them, and snorkeled on the Great Barrier Reef together. My best childhood friends round out the group- the friend I've known since preschool who held my hand on the kindergarten bus when I was scared, the friend who went through those awkward junior high years with me, and the friends who spent hours talking about boys and dreaming about our princes... What all these girls have in common is that they have given me the best memories of friendship, fun, laughter, and unconditional love. My life would not be complete without them and I can't imagine getting married without them by my side! (LOVE the vases by the way!!! GORGEOUS!)

Kara, June 30, 2011 9:16 am   Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply I could go on forever, but each of my bridesmaids have been in my life at just the right time for just the right situations. Each of these girls are friends for life and bring so much to our friendships.

Kristi, June 30, 2011 9:21 am   Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply I don't even know where to start...I've been friends with these girls my entire life. We were in school together from preschool - senior year. Our parents, and even some of our grandparents, went to high school together. They keep me sane and are such a blessing to have in my life. I can, without a doubt, say that we'll be friends for the rest of our lives.

linda d, June 30, 2011 9:24 am   Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply My girls have been so great. as all of them have gotten married within the last few years they had great advice for me, have fully supported all of my decisions, and keep me laughing throughout it all. Even though none of us live in the same area they somehow manage to help me!

Sarah barton, June 30, 2011 9:39 am   Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply Each one of my bridesmaids comes from a different walk in my life...one from middle school, one from high school, and one from college. Each of these girls have been there for me through the trials and tribulations of life. They are dedicated friends, well really they are my sisters. I could not imagine going through such a special time in my life without them. I thank God every day for blessing me with such special ladies in my life!!

Lauren S., June 30, 2011 10:07 am   Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply My bridesmaids are the greatest ever, from throwing a bridal shower to hosting my bachelorette party. My wedding party includes my three sisters, and four of my best friends! I couldn't ask for a more giving, loving bridal party. I know they will help me stay calm on my big day!!

Courtney, June 30, 2011 10:35 am   Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply I consider each of my bridesmaids to be the sister I never had. I have my best friend who I can tell everything (matron of honor), the other best friend who has always wanted the best for me and cheered me along to finish my dreams (maid of honor), the friend who I am most like-personality wise, the friend who is sentimental and wants to make sure my wedding is my dream's vision, the friend who is always happy and bring happiness to people when they are down, and the friend with whom I fight with like sister's about mostly everything but still can look at each other and know that at the end of the day we are always there for one another. My bridesmaid are a collection of friends from lifelong friends to sorority sisters to college roommates. It was a tough decision picking who I wanted in the wedding party, but in the end I knew that these girls have always had my back and I couldn't imagine not standing up on the most important day of my life without them!

Laura, June 30, 2011 10:56 am   Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply My bridesmaids are seriously the best. They're like sisters, each with a special place in my heart. They all come from different times in my lives and have always been there. Some of them are far away, but their friendship is one that trumps all of those transient relationships in my life. When I picked them, I didn't worry about the numbers, or how they'd look in the pictures. I just chose the girls I couldn't imagine NOT having by my side, just as they've always been.

Marie, June 30, 2011 11:19 am   Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply I love my bridesmaids. What I find is the most special is that they are from different times in my life, childhood, high school, college, and grad school friends, but I feel so close to each of them even now.

Dana @ Cville Fashion, June 30, 2011 12:25 pm   Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply I just got engaged and haven't asked my friend to be my bridesmaid yet, but I can tell you that she is such an incredibly supportive, positive influence in my life and motivates me to better myself all the time. She's a blast to be around, too!

ashley taylor, June 30, 2011 1:08 pm   Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply Spoken in the voice of Shelby from Steel Magnolias "My bridesmaids, my bridesmaids, my bridesmaids!" They truly were the "blush and bashful" of our black + white wedding (figuratively speaking, of course). I've known all five of them since elementary school. We've laughed, cried, and laughed some more through both trials and celebrations. We're all unique in our own special ways, and although it's hard to pinpoint what exactly brought us all together 20 years ago, we know God's grace is what has gotten us to where we are today.

Kristen, June 30, 2011 2:09 pm   Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply I am so blessed to have such amazing bridesmaids and my big sister and my dear friend (who happens to be my ex-husband's fiancee). I never would be able to make it through this process without them. My fiance proposed to me while we were in CA after my mom had been moved in to hospice. Mom had endured three types of cancer in less than two years and the liver cancer followed by a stroke as a result of the chemo had taken it's toll. I prayed for her to have just one moment of being lucid so she would know we were there and we were blessed with many. As my big sister sat across from me with each of us holding my mother's hand, I became overwhelmed with the prospect of all of the milestones she would miss: my wedding (if my boyfriend proposed), my son growing up, etc. My sister, in her own grief told me that she would make sure she was there for those moments. This selflessness is what makes her more than my sister, but my best friend despite our age difference of 11 years. A week after that trip in which my fiance proposed, my mother passed on. It has been the single worst day of my entire life. As I called my dear friend (my bridesmaid) to let her know that my mom had passed. She came over immediately with a single rose in hand to comfort me. She hugged me as I cried and as I had to come to grips with the reality that my mom wasn't going with me to shop for a dress and all of the other things for my wedding. I thought this was really selfish of me, especially after my mom enduring so much pain and sickness over the past two years. A few days after this, my dear friend told me we were going out for coffee and going to look at some dresses. I sighed and agreed. I told her we were going to look at silhouettes only when lo and behold she holds up this amazing ivory dress that is just perfect for me. It's like the angels sang and my mom kicked be in the butt all at the same time. Then I looked at the label...designer...not going to happen with my budget. When she flipped the tag around, it was a flawless sample in my size AND it was $850 off. Fine, I'll try it on, but I don't have the money yet to secure the dress. She proceeded to email my dad pics of me in the dress and called my dad on my phone. He said, "If you don't get that dress I'm gonna kick you." The dress fit nearly perfectly and then she leaned over and said not to worry about the deposit for the layaway. What? So, she marched to the sales counter with the dress and put down the deposit for the dress and told me that it was not a loan. I was floored, yet still I worried about paying for the rest of it in so short a time. She told me not to worry and that it was meant to be. A month later I was not able to make the payment due to multiple trips out to CA. Out of the blue I got a call from my big sister who said she wanted to help me with the dress and was sending the money to do so. I was floored and the reality of getting my dream dress was pretty much secured after my dad told me it was my mom's wish that they helped me get my dress and paid off the dress for me in its entirety. My last gift from my beautiful mother who was more than a mom to me. She was my best friend, my confidante, and my heart. I don't know how I would have not only got to wear my dream dress, but also have gotten through these past few months without them. They are my rocks and I am theirs. I am blessed to have such wonderful women in my life.

Caitlin, June 30, 2011 4:00 pm   Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply My bridesmaids are so unique and special to me in different ways which is why I feel so lucky to be surrounded by the five most amazing women on my wedding day. Whether it is one on one or in a large group after leaving an occasion when I have spent time with each of them, I always catch myself thinking who that was the best night.

Kt, June 30, 2011 5:11 pm   Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply my bridesmaids all have touched my life at different times - it's like seeing the different stages all together, through the good & hard times :)

Taylor, June 30, 2011 5:22 pm   Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply Oh.....my bridesmaids. They definitely make my like fun and full. I would love to gift them these beautiful little vases that are as unique as each of them. Despite whatever is going on in the world, or in our lives, each year since our senior year of highschool, we have a dinner with us and each of our moms. We've made a pact that men, babies, etc., will not stop us from staying together. We share struggles, praises, and hardships, and take on each other's burdens, lightening the load for the other girl. This bond is so dear to my heart, they are worth more to me than almost anything. They are family.

Kristyn M, June 30, 2011 9:43 pm   Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply I couldn't live without them. They make me laugh like no one else! And that is the best thing someone can do for you!

Amanda, June 30, 2011 10:52 pm   Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply I have lived all over the country throughout the years, have met many people in many places, lost touch with many but cherished a few. Three of my ladies have been my friends, confidants and touchstones. Each is from a different time and place on my life but they are all equally important in my life and have had a role in shaping and supporting the person I am and the person I strive to be. The fourth is my very dear cousin who has known mensince we were both little. She lived with is for a summer years ago and somehow the stories never get old. I love to hear her voice on the phone and she always makes M's laugh. Hard. Like pee my pants hard! The fifth is my new sister in law. She's the baby in the family and the only girl. I loom forward to bonding as sisters and playing really important roles in one anoher's lives - I feel to privileged to have her in my life. And those are my ladies!

Cat, July 1, 2011 6:25 pm   Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply Well my bridesmaids are from all aspects of my life. My best friend from high school who I got into all kinds of trouble with (without ever getting into trouble). A volleyball buddy that I have kept in touch with for years who is just way too much like me. A friend from my working life that I hang out with all the time. And my future sister in law who I just love to death.They have all given so much to me with their friendships. I love them!

lb, July 1, 2011 11:06 pm   Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply These ladies have always had my best interests at heart, brutal honesty eventhough it may have hurt. Decades of friendship that mean the world to me.

Sheila, July 3, 2011 4:10 am   Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply My bridesmaids are the best! My Maid of Honor is my older (and only) sister. She's been there for me for my whole life. She is just amazing! She's caring, loving, and has always been my role model. If I am even half of the woman she is I would be happy! My second bridesmaid is my childhood friend, Margaret (we met in preschool). Although we didn't hang out quite as much through high school, or now that I have moved out of state, but we will be life long friends. I remember one time specifically, I came back home for Christmas break from college, freshman year. We went to dinner and talked for hours. We said that no matter how long we go without seeing each other we still always know that we are each others best friends. We even talked about how we knew we would be little old, greying ladies and no matter what we would still be friends. I knew long before my fiancé proposed, that when I got married Margaret was going to be a bridesmaid. Probably the day after my fiancé proposed, I was thinking about who I was going to have as my bridesmaids. My sister didn't even cross my mind because I always just knew she was going to be my MOH, but Margaret was the first person that I thought of. I thought about a few of my other close friends throughout my life, but I couldn't think of anyone else that I really wanted to stand up there next to me. I wanted more than 2 bridesmaids, but when it came down to it, Claire and Margaret were the only ones that I knew I just had to have there for me, and in my heart that told me I didn't need anyone else. These two women are my best friends, no matter how far apart we are, no matter how long we go without talking and catching up, they will always be there for me and they will always be the closest friends that I have. I cherish every moment I have with them, especially as the wedding gets closer and closer because I get to spend time with them, which I don't get to do very often. They deserve a great gift and these would be just perfect! P.S.: No one knows this yet, but I have been thinking about asking my mother to be my Matron of Honor, along with my sister as my Maid of Honor. She and I used to be so close, but as I got older I turned into a terrible teenager and went through stages of just hating her. Now, as I've gotten even older and more mature, the time I've spent with her recently for wedding stuff, I've remembered just how much she means to me. It would make her entire year if asked her to be my Matron of Honor, and I would love to have her up there with me.

Winner Round-Up :: Jess Wainer + Fine & Fleurie + Say Cheese! Paper Props « Southern Weddings Magazine, October 20, 2011 2:56 pm   Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply [...] We asked you to tell us how your bridesmaids have made your life fun and full. Reading over your comments made my day! Winner, Courtney said, I consider each of my bridesmaids to be the sister I never had. I have my best friend who I can tell everything (matron of honor), the other best friend who has always wanted the best for me and cheered me along to finish my dreams (maid of honor), the friend who I am most like-personality wise, the friend who is sentimental and wants to make sure my wedding is my dream’s vision, the friend who is always happy and bring happiness to people when they are down, and the friend with whom I fight with like sister’s about mostly everything but still can look at each other and know that at the end of the day we are always there for one another. My bridesmaid are a collection of friends from lifelong friends to sorority sisters to college roommates. It was a tough decision picking who I wanted in the wedding party, but in the end I knew that these girls have always had my back and I couldn’t imagine not standing up on the most important day of my life without them! Fine & Fleurie knows a Southern girl needs her pearls. I was so excited to feature a giveaway with their beautiful Swarovski pearl necklace and bracelet bridal set. Any bride would look lovely in it! [...]