The Cutest Ways To Ask ‘Will You Be My Bridesmaid?’
Published date: 1st April 2021 | Author: Hollie Bond
Looking for inspired ideas to pop the question to your best girls? From cute bridesmaids cards to sweet surprises, these are the best and most unforgettable ways to ask your friends ‘will you be my bridesmaid?’.
It’s one of the most exciting parts of wedding planning and probably one of the very first things you thought about once you had a ring on your finger… who would become part of your bridal party. Whether you knew straight away who you’d love as your bridesmaids or if it was more of an agonising choice between a group of really good friends, you’ll want to make sure you ask these special ladies in your life to walk down the aisle with you in a memorable and heartfelt way. After all, it’s not just the sort of question you can ask in passing.
You’re telling these girls that they are extremely important to you and that you need their love and support on the biggest day of your life. Plus, you’re also bestowing a pretty awesome honour on them – the chance to walk down the aisle with you, feature in all the best pictures and plan and pull off an awesome hen party for you.
The good news is there are loads of lovely ways to pop the bridesmaid question these days that appeal to all wedding budgets and types of friendships. Remember to consider how many bridesmaids you’re asking though before you get your heart set on some of these creative ways to ask. If you’re going big with 12 maids, you’ll probably just want to buy a personalised card for each of them, whereas if you’re just having one or two girls in your bridal posse you can afford to be a little bit more generous and consider something like a bridesmaid gift box or even an experience day.
We’ve rounded up the best ‘will you be my bridesmaid’ ideas, cards and gifts to help you make the bridesmaid proposal moment as special and memorable as possible…
How do you ask someone to be your bridesmaid?
Asking one of your besties to be your bridesmaid is an exciting moment and so you’ll want to give it some thought.
For brides who don’t like to make a fuss, it can be as simple as asking the question “will you be my bridesmaid?” over the phone or a cup of coffee. However, there are plenty of ways to make the question a lot more exciting.
You could send a personalised card with the all-important question through the post, have the question written on a cupcake, revealed on a cool scratch card or there are even gift boxes full of gorgeous items that have the question written on the lid when your friend opens it.
If you want to ask your bridesmaids in person, you could organise an afternoon tea or a spa day for you all where you ask your friends to be your bridesmaids altogether. It all depends on your budget and the relationship you have with your friends as to whether you want to keep it low key or to make a big thing of the moment.
The most important thing is to be clear about what you’re asking – “Would you do me the honour of being my bridesmaid at my wedding?” is a really eloquent and clear way of phrasing the question.
How far in advance do you ask someone to be your bridesmaid?
If possible it’s best not to leave this question too late as you’ll want your bridesmaids to support you and share in your excitement for the entire wedding planning journey.
That said, don’t ring up your friends minutes after you’ve been given your engagement ring. You need to carefully consider who you want in your bridal party – once you’ve asked a friend to be a bridesmaid you can’t change your mind!
Once you’ve planned a few key details like the wedding date and how many guests you’ll be having on the day it’s a good time to ask your friends to be bridesmaids. Depending on the length of your engagement, anything from a year to a few months before the big day is an ideal time to ask the bridesmaid question.
Make sure you ask all your chosen bridesmaids at the same time, so that no one feels left out or like they’re second best. If you want your bridesmaids to organise your hen party make sure you ask them in enough time to make sure it’s not too stressful to arrange. You’ll also need to make sure you have left enough time to sort out their outfits for the big day too.
‘Will You Be My Bridesmaid?’ Cards
If you’re trying to save as much money as possible for the big day and to put towards some lovely dresses for your bridesmaids then it can be a brilliant budget-friendly idea to ask your friend to be your bridesmaid via the medium of a card.
This doesn’t have to be a classic card from a shop, you can have all sorts of fun with personalised cards or cards with funny messages if you search online. Here are some of our favourite bridesmaids cards that will guarantee a wonderful reaction from your bestie when she opens the envelope!
Dress To Impress
I promise I won’t make you wear an ugly dress card, £2, Sweetheartfoils on Etsy
Have a bit of a giggle with your bridesmaid proposal with a funny card like this one, which promises to not put your friend in an ugly dress, which is every bridesmaid’s biggest fear!
Act Surprised
Bridesmaid request card, £3.45, Dandypug at Etsy
If your bestie knows she’s always been on the cards for a role as maid of honour or bridesmaid you might want to acknowledge that fact with this fun card.
You (f)rock!
Funny card, £3.50, wordplaydesign.co.uk
This card is a fun way to ask your bestie to become your bridesmaid. If you have a jokey relationship with her she’ll find this card a hoot.
Photo Finish
Minimalist modern photo card, £2.35, Zazzle
Choose a favourite photo of the two of you, (yes we know this might take hours!) and then use that to create a lovely personalised card to act as your bridesmaid proposal.
Pretty As a Picture
Bridesmaid greeting card, £3.50, Bow & Arrow Press at Papier
We love this cute illustrated card from Papier, which is a smart choice for a bridesmaid card. You can personalise the inside of the card too.
Rustic Romance
Pack of six bridesmaid proposal cards, £4, Paperchase
You can find a pretty bridesmaid card on the high street as well as online, and fab stationers Paperchase have this smart rustic option that will work perfectly for your bridesmaid proposal.
‘Will You Be My Bridesmaid?’ Gift Ideas
Fancy doing something a bit more extravagant to show your mates just how amazing they are and how much you’d appreciate them being your bridesmaid? How about giving them a special ‘will you be my bridesmaid?’ gift? There are all sorts of bridesmaid gifts you could give that are specific to your friendship or there are lots of lovely gift ideas already created for this special occasion of popping the bridesmaids question…
Up, Up And Away
Will you be my bridesmaid balloon, £19.99, The Party Company
Send your bridesmaid-to-be a big box with a surprise helium balloon inside that’ll float out to reveal the question you’ve been dying to ask. It’s a really fun and inventive way to ask her to be in your bridal party.
In The Bag
Perfect pouch, £14.99, Katie Loxton
A beautiful bridesmaid pouch from Katie Loxton is a chic way to ask your friend to be your bridesmaid and she can even use it on the big day itself to keep important things like lipstick and plasters in for you!
Drink Up!
Personalised Wooden Wine Gift Box, £19.99, Wedding Star
Looking for creative ways to say cheers to your best girls? How about sending a lovely wooden box containing their favourite wine, with the message etched onto the front of the box?
Sweet Treat
Will you be my bridesmaid gift biscuits, from £22, Honeywell Biscuit Co.
How pretty are these biscuits? Almost too good to eat you might say. Having your message to your friend written on a biscuit is an ingenious and tasty way to pop the question.
Tea For Two
Secret message mug, £16, The Letter Loft
Invite your bridesmaid-to-be over for a cuppa and serve hers in this cool mug which has a hidden message at the bottom with the all important ‘will you be my bridesmaid?’ question! It’s such a fun and unexpected way for her to receive the good news that she’s part of your bridal party.
Big Day Bottoms Up
Rose gold personalised wine label, £3.40, Peachy Prints Uk on Etsy
If you always get together with your best girl over a bottle of wine then a personalised wine label can be a really fun way to ask her to be your maid. Choose her favourite bottle of wine and then order a pretty personalised wine label to stick on it et voilà… the perfect bridesmaid proposal.
Proposal Gift
‘I Couldn’t Tie The Knot Without You’ Bridesmaid Bangle, £20, Junk Jewels at Not on the High Street
Something that your maid can also wear on the wedding day is a great idea for a bridesmaid proposal gift. A necklace or bracelet that’ll look lovely with her bridesmaid dress will work perfectly, and there are plenty of options that come with packaging that ask the important question!
Light Of My Life
Scented candle, £16, Kindred Fires
If your best mate lights up your life, let her know with a bridesmaid proposal that is flaming good! Plus, everyone loves a scented candle for their home and it’ll remind her throughout the planning journey how special it is to be your maid.
‘Will You Be My Bridesmaid?’ Gift Boxes
Everyone loves the anticipation of opening a box to find out what’s inside. There are some really gorgeous bridesmaids boxes specifically for this special occasion on the market if you love this idea or you can get creative and make your own up including some fun clues and personalised presents that’ll help your friends guess what you’re about to ask them.
Maid In Heaven
Will You Be My Maid Of Honour Personalised Gift Box, £19.99, Team Hen at Not on the High Street
This gift box will be a real treat for any bridesmaid and looks seriously chic and bridal. Inside your maid-to-be will find a ‘will you be my bridesmaid?’ card, a hen party planning notebook, a chocolate bar, a diamanté pen, a hair tie and a lapel pin. We reckon she’ll get what you’re asking when she unwraps that little lot.
Make It Personal
Will you be my bridesmaid box, £70, Build My Gift
If you want a bit more say about what goes inside your bridesmaids’ gift box then this is the one for you. Build My Gift gives you the option to choose from a selection of pretty cards, and then there’s a lot of pretty gifts to add too.
All In a Name
Bridesmaid Proposal Thank You Personalised Gift Box, £12, Design by Eleven at Not on the High Street
This box can be personalised with your bridesmaid’s name, so will make a lovely keepsake for her once she’s enjoyed all the goodies inside. Just imagine her excitement when she she’s such a personalised gift coming her way!
Pop The Question
Personalised Be My Bridesmaid Gift Box, £14.95, Dibor at Not on the High Street
Keep the suspense going with this box which reveals its message under the lid with a lovely ‘Please will you be my bridesmaid?’ message. Your soon-to-be maid will also love all the cute gifts you choose to fill it with.
Team Bride
Personalised Will You Be My Bridesmaid Gift Box, £16.95, Milly Inspired at Not on the High Street
Recruit your bestie to ‘Team Bride’ with this elegant box that includes a necklace, a planning notebook, a sweet treat a scented candle and a notebook. Everything you need to win her over to the bridal party!
Luxe Lovers
‘Box Of Delights’ Luxury Gift Box For Her, £45, Twinkleboxco at Not on the High Street
Treat your besties to a special box of treats that she’ll be able to use during the wedding planning process to look and feel her very best as a bridesmaid. This box includes lovely beauty produces and sweet treats and is a really lovely way to start your journey together to the aisle.
Flower Power
Personalised vibrant flower frame bridesmaid box, £34.95, Prezzybox
This is a beautiful box that you can fill with your own contents and make as personalised as you like for each individual maid. This design is super cute and your maids can use it for a long time after the big day itself.
‘Will You Be My Bridesmaid?’ Surprises
Asking your friends to be your bridesmaids doesn’t have to involve a gift or card, it can be lovely to do something special together instead. How about booking a surprise afternoon tea for your girls and then revealing that the reason for it is because you’re hoping this special group of girls will be your bridal party? We love BB Bakery’s vintage bus tour, which is perfect for a bridesmaid proposal.
The sky’s the limit when it comes to asking this question, quite literally you could even have a flypast with the words written on a banner at the back of the plane (budget allowing!!). Be creative and have fun with the question, after all, you’ll only get to ask your girls this important question once!
Some of our favourite surprises include
- booking a surprise spa day for you and your girls and then asking them to be your bridesmaids while you’re being pampered;
- going for a night out and asking the DJ to pop the questions for you as a special request;
- going for a wine tasting and asking your girls to help choose the wine for your wedding as their first task;
- booking a glamping or self-catering weekend and asking them over a meal and some drinks; or
- inviting them on a shopping trip and revealing that it’s to look for bridesmaid dresses when you’re there!