The Rise Of Professional Bridesmaids: A New Wedding Trend?

Yes, professional bridesmaids are a thing. Jen Glantz, a 31-year-old entrepreneur, is one such professional bridesmaid. She works with anywhere between 20 and 35 brides per year since breaking ground on her business, Bridesmaid For Hire, in 2015. Glantz charges around $2,000 per client and offers a range of packages, including being there on the wedding day, the bachelorette party, and bridal shower. She also offers maid-of-honor speech writing and bachelorette party planning services. Glantz's business idea came about after she noticed that her friends' weddings were filled with pockets of stress, anxiety, and loneliness for the people getting married. She wanted to fill the gap in the wedding industry for a hired 'bridesmaid' figure to support brides who might not have close or reliable friends.

Professional bridesmaids are not wedding planners

Professional bridesmaids, such as Jen Glantz of Bridesmaid For Hire, often describe their role as filling in for friends or family members who are unable or unwilling to take on the typical responsibilities of a bridesmaid. This can include anything from providing a listening ear and offering advice to more practical tasks like writing speeches, planning bridal showers or bachelorette parties, and even acting as a buffer between feuding relatives.

Professional bridesmaids are not focused on the aesthetic or logistical aspects of the wedding, which are typically the domain of wedding planners. Instead, they are there to ensure the bride's well-being and provide a stress-free experience, whether it's by offering a shoulder to cry on or taking care of last-minute requests.

While there may be some overlap in duties, professional bridesmaids ultimately fill a unique role that falls somewhere between a friend and a wedding planner, providing a combination of emotional and practical support tailored to the bride's needs.

They can be hired for emotional support

Professional bridesmaids are a real thing. Jen Glantz, the founder of Bridesmaid For Hire, is a professional bridesmaid who has worked with anywhere between 20 and 35 brides per year since starting her business in 2015. She works with her clients anywhere from three months to a full year before their wedding date, after establishing a rate with them based on their requirements.

Professional bridesmaids can be hired for emotional support. Glantz describes herself as the "emotional fulcrum" on the biggest day of her clients' lives. She explains that her job is to be the best bridesmaid she can be, which sometimes involves being the bride's therapist or counsellor. She also offers "1-on-1 wedding vent sessions" for clients who only need an hour of her expert counselling.

Glantz's clients often hire her to create a buffer between problem relatives, or because they don't have many close friends. She is there to answer their questions and provide truthful advice. She describes her role as a "bodyguard" and a "wedding magician", and says that she is there to prevent and predict drama.

Glantz also offers a "Bridesmaid Boot Camp Crash Course" to help first-time bridesmaids with their duties. She says that she is there to prevent and predict drama and be the bride's "bodyguard".

They can also be hired to help with the bridal party

Professional bridesmaids are a real thing. Jen Glantz, the founder of Bridesmaid for Hire, is a prime example of someone who has successfully ventured into this unique bridal vocation. Glantz works as a professional bridesmaid, hired by strangers to be a part of their bridal party and assist with any hands-on needs. She is not a wedding planner, but rather, a dedicated friend to the bride, ensuring her well-being and a smooth flow of events on her special day.

Glantz's services are versatile and can be tailored to meet the specific needs of the bride. She can act as a therapist, personal assistant, social director, or peacekeeper, among other roles, to ensure the bride's happiness and comfort. One of her primary responsibilities is to handle the behind-the-scenes drama and problems that may arise between the wedding couple, family members, and guests. This includes dealing with difficult in-laws, a missing groom, or a bridesmaid crisis, such as a lost dress or a last-minute dropout.

Glantz's job also involves providing emotional support to brides who may be experiencing cold feet or feeling overwhelmed. She acts as a confidante, offering a listening ear and helping to calm nerves. Additionally, she assists in practical tasks such as writing maid-of-honor speeches, planning bachelorette parties, and coordinating bridal showers.

Glantz's services are often kept confidential, with some brides preferring to introduce her as a friend with a fictional backstory. This adds an element of intrigue to her role and allows her to seamlessly integrate into the bridal party.

Professional bridesmaids like Glantz fill a unique gap in the wedding industry. They provide emotional labour, practical assistance, and dedicated friendship to brides who may not have a large support system or reliable friends. By hiring a professional bridesmaid, brides can ensure they have a trustworthy and skilled companion by their side as they navigate the excitement and stress of their wedding day.

Professional bridesmaids can be hired to be a buffer between problem relatives

Professional bridesmaids are a real thing, and they can be hired to be a buffer between problem relatives.

Professional bridesmaids are not the same as wedding planners. They are there to provide emotional support to the bride and be the "emotional fulcrum" on the biggest day of her life. They are not there to organise the father-daughter dance or colour-coordinate the groomsmen.

Jen Glantz, the founder of Bridesmaid For Hire, says that her services can be advantageous for brides who already have bridesmaids but need professional help. She also says that her services are for brides who don't have many friends and need someone to make them feel confident and stress-free on their wedding day.

Glantz's job description depends entirely on what the bride needs. If the stress is getting too much, she can be a therapist. If invitations need to be written and delivered, she can be a personal assistant. If an inebriated guest is causing a scene at the reception, she can be a guest wrangler.

Glantz works with her clients anywhere from three months to a full year before their wedding date, after establishing a rate with them that hinges on what they want out of the service. She offers deals ranging from $199 to $2,500.

Glantz says that the hardest part of the job is handling all the drama that happens behind the scenes. She has been hired to be a buffer between problem relatives, and she has also been hired by brides who don't have many close friends.

When people hire Glantz, it's usually a complete secret. Often, they don't even tell the person they are marrying. She has a fake name and a backstory—for example, that they know each other from high school—and she wears the dress, walks down the aisle, and sometimes gives the maid-of-honour speech.

Glantz is like a personal assistant, an on-call therapist, a social director, and a peacekeeper for the person who hires her. She is proud of her work, even if it seems odd to others.

They can be hired to help with the bachelorette party

Professional bridesmaids are a thing! And they can be hired to help with the bachelorette party, among other things.

Bachelorette parties are pre-wedding events that the bridesmaids are expected to help plan and pay for. Usually, the maid of honour leads the charge, but the other bridesmaids are expected to pitch in. This could include making reservations, buying decorations, or creating a detailed itinerary for the group.

Professional bridesmaids can be hired to take on these tasks, acting as a "pseudo wedding planner, event host, and unofficial therapist". They can be particularly useful for bridesmaids who have little experience with planning a wedding or brides who don't have many close friends.

Professional bridesmaid Jen Glantz, who founded the business Bridesmaid For Hire, says that she has been hired to help with bachelorette parties in a number of ways. She has been asked to make reservations, give a maid-of-honour speech, and even pose in the wedding pictures.

Glantz offers a range of packages, including a "Bridesmaid for Hire" service that covers the bachelorette party, bridal shower, and the wedding day. Her packages start at $2,500, and the person hiring her also covers travel, accommodation, and the dress.

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