Anna Gionet
Being a bridesmaid can be stressful. Having to go dress shopping, planning the bachelorette party, going on trips, traveling for the wedding day, hair and makeup, you name it. If you have an easygoing bride who doesn’t sweat the small stuff, being in the bridal party can be a blast! But add a bridezilla into the mix, and it can quickly become overwhelming and raise the already high blood pressure from all of the extra stressors. In this survey, we sought to find out some pet peeves that brides do to help determine how not to be a bridezilla.
Methodology
We surveyed 1,500 participants to ask questions about being part of a bridal party — the good, the bad, and the ugly — to find out what brides can do to not be a bridezilla to their bridal party.
Top 10 Characteristics of a Bridezilla
What do you think of when you hear the word bridezilla? How do they act that makes them come across as one? According to our survey respondents, the top characteristics of being a bridezilla are entitled, dramatic, difficult, spoiled, demanding, crazy, angry, annoying, selfish, and unreasonable.
Bridezilla Reactions
Luckily, bridezillas are the exception, not the norm, so it doesn’t happen as often as you think, regardless of how all those reality shows make it seem. According to our survey respondents, when something went wrong at the wedding, 72.19% had positive experiences and said that the bride’s reaction was great or incredible through the challenges. Unfortunately, 2.37% had experienced a bride who reacted horribly, and you did not want to get in her way when things went wrong.
While almost half of respondents said that the bride never argued with anyone, the other half were witnesses to some arguments. 21.95% said they witnessed the bride arguing with a family member, 10.82% with another member of the bridal party, 9.34% with the groom, and 5.45% with a service person!
Bridal Party Expenses
Cost is a huge factor when being a bridesmaid in a wedding, and if you are in multiple weddings that can add up quickly. We know, we did the research! While you can budget and plan out how much you think it will cost after all of the expenses, sometimes you get a curveball and end up spending more than you anticipated. Most often, according to our respondents, wedding attire is the thing bridesmaids often spend more money on than expected. But let’s be honest, it’s not just the dress you are paying for. You need to often take into account the shoes, jewelry, and any other accessories the bride asks of you to complete her vision.
Certain items like hair and makeup are sometimes covered by the bride, but not always. 1 in 3 respondents said they were required to pay to get their hair done for the wedding. However, when it comes to spending money or dealing with a bridezilla, 37.8% of respondents said they would rather spend $1,000 on a wedding than deal with a bridezilla.
Consequences of Being a Bridezilla
While you may know someone, stress is a powerful thing and can alter how someone behaves. Only 47% of survey respondents said that they would still agree to be in a wedding party if they knew the bride was going to be a bridezilla ahead of time, and 6% of respondents said their relationship with the bride was worse after being in the bridal party.
The attitude of the bride greatly affects the atmosphere of the day and the bridal party. Unfortunately, 12.5% of respondents said that the bride’s attitude affected their mental health negatively while participating in the bridal party.
Closing Thoughts
A wedding is stressful enough; you don’t need a bridezilla adding to the day. For future brides, let this be a guide on what to look out for so you don’t end up falling into that category. Let us here at Shane Co. take some of the pressure off and assist you with all of your engagement ring and jewelry needs!
Anna Gionet
