Best Bridesmaid top tips revealed

A bridesmaid’s duty is to stop her bestie from going full bridezilla, yet bridal parties are consumed by drama far too often! As the summer wedding season kicks off, group travel experts Red7 reveals the top five tips from the 2018 cohort of Britain’s Best Bridesmaid competition winners.

1. Brides love surprises - make her feel special.

Britain’s Best Bridesmaid winner, Nicole Hutton, surprised her bride by secretly arranging for friends and family to meet her in Las Vegas. Bride Elizabeth Upward says: “When I arrived in Vegas she was waiting at the airport with a limousine and champagne!”

Scottish winner Amanda Wane procured bride Leanne McNiven’s passport before taking her on a blindfolded taxi ride. “I was in complete shock when I saw my friends and family at Edinburgh airport - we were all off to Paris for the weekend!” says Leanne.

2. Make sure that everyone important can attend the hen.

“Just weeks after the proposal and three weeks before we jetted off to get married, Nicole threw me the most amazing hen party in York – all hand-made and Vegas-themed!” says Elizabeth.

Amanda had a similar idea, Leanne says: “she even arranged a second night for me in Inverness for all my friends that had been unable to make it to Paris! She went above and beyond - a fantastic friend for life!”

3. Make it personal – not all brides want tacky novelties, especially with the elegance of the royal wedding at the forefront of every bride’s mind this year.

“She knows I don’t like hens where everyone troops around town with plastic penises,” says bride Elizabeth of winner Nicole, “everything was home-made, it must have taken her ages!”

Jamie Branston, the winner for the Midlands, opted for ticking an item off bride Rachel Elkington’s bucket list. “I didn't want a full hen do so she booked tickets to Boyzone for just the two of us,” says Rachel.

4. Take care of the bride’s family – she won't have time to!

Welsh winner Jennifer Wallen, helped steer bride Deborah Williams’ wedding back on track: “Jen made sure my step-daughters were happy and settled. She gave them a last-minute lift on the day when my wedding cars didn’t arrive.”

Sarah Tuesday Wilson, winner for the North West, made sure that the bride did not have to worry about her future hubbie feeling the pressure. “She met my fiancé to check that he was okay for me and give him a hug, she put on his button hole and the whole wedding day was seamless,” says bride Rebecca Bainbridge.

5. Whatever you do, do not complain! Chirpy bridesmaids win the race.

“When others had a habit of moaning and causing stress, she didn’t moan to me once!” says bride Abbie Peel of South West winner Amy Hookway.

Whilst Red7 would always advise putting health first and foremost, South East winner Angela Bubb did not let a serious injury get in the way of her bridesmaid duties. “She was kept in hospital overnight,” says bride Chelsea Hathaway-Bennett “but she stood through the photos with a smile on her face.”