The film “Bridesmaids” depicts the misadventures of a bridal party. Made of honor Annie (Kirsten Wiig) is a 30 something woman who still can’t seem to land Mr. Right,can’t hold a job, and can’t find a decent room mate, when her best friend since childhood, Lillian (Maya Rudolph) suddenly announces her engagement. To top it all off, Lillian has found a new best friend and confidante in her fiances’ boss’s wife, the wealthy and beautiful Helen, who seems to embody all that Annie is not. As well, Helen suffers from perfectionism and has made Lillian’s wedding her new pet project. Hilarity ensues as the two dueling bridesmaids battle for control of the wedding festivities and the bride’s undivided friendship. While many of the situations in the film are exaggerated for comedic effect, they are based on real-life wedding anxieties– everything from having the perfect dress, to giving the best toast. Obviously, there wouldn’t be a comic film without people making mistakes, but we couldn’t help but consider how Bridesmaids would have turned out differently, if only the bride had hired a a wedding planner . Below then, are a few of the film’s key disasters, replete with how a wedding planner would have saved the day:
NOTE: spoiler alert: if you haven’t seen the film, you may wish to see it first before you read this!
1) Dining Out Nightmare
The bridesmaids go out for a celebration luncheon which quickly degenerates into a food poisoning nightmare. While it certainly provided some large guffaws in the theatre, in real life it might have ended in a law suite. Interestingly, Lillian, the bride, points out in that Annie, her maid of honor, always chooses good restaurants that are cheap and affordable. While affordability is certainly a criteria, so is the comfort and safety of your guests. However, the restaurant was never properly vetted or checked out beforehand in this case, leaving the party open to a bad case of botulism. A wedding planner chooses suppliers with care and only wants to work with those that have experience and stellar reputations within the industry. As well, a wedding planner would personally check out the restaurant beforehand.

Lesson learned: Don’t go with untrusted suppliers. If you don’t have a wedding planner, you must carefully check out your suppliers yourself and do your due diligence.
2) Bridesmaids Gown Fitting Ends With Sh$#@!
The party of bridesmaids show up at prestigious wedding shop and discover that the wait time for an appointment is 7 weeks, just for a trial fitting. Fortunately, Helen pulls a Deus ex machina and saves the day, gaining them access to the shop because of her upper-crust connections. Unfortunately, the bridesmaids cannot agree on a dress or a price range for their gowns. The debate over the dresses is suddenly cut short when their food poisoning kicks in and sends everyone running to the washroom in full bridal regalia. In real life, this situation (minus the diarhea) can really happen: often bridesmaids are forced to wear a dress that is not flattering to them or spend money they don’t have because of poor planning. A wedding planner would arrange your appointment ahead of time, set a budget in advance, and ensure that a dress style is picked that is flattering to all while remaining within a given price range. Brides usually pay for the bridesmaids gowns, but if that is not the case, you don’t want your bridesmaids to spend more money than they have to, just because one of them is wealthy or has champagne tastes. Certainly, without a wedding planner, the stress on the bride will be much higher during this phase of the wedding, since she wants to cater to everyone’s whims, and the outcome may not be to everyone’s satisfaction.
3) The Runaway Bride Meets the Runaway Wedding
One of film’s funniest sight gags occurs when Lillian goes missing on her wedding day, and is finally tracked down by her friend Annie. After being dragged out of bed where she had taken refuge, Lilllian tries on her wedding dress for Annie, revealing a haute couture creation that seems to obscure most of her face and looks ridiculous. At this point, she frankly admits that her own wedding has gotten away from her, because everything has been planned by Helen without any consultation. This underlines an essential truth about all weddings: from start to finish, it should be your vision of your perfect day, not someone else’s . A good wedding planner is there to execute your wishes, and assist with ideas that will make things affordable, practical, easier, and more convenient. We’re there to listen to you.
4) Bridal Shower Favors Shouldn’t Take A Bite Out Of Your Wallet
As the film progresses we are witness to the purchase of an ever escalating series of over-the-top wedding paraphernalia, beginning with an invitation that includes a real live butterfly, progressing to the giant heart shaped cookie and life-size chocolate fondue fountain that Annie tussles with during her “meltdown” at the bridal shower, and finally culminating in a bridal shower favor that seems to go beyond excess:  a real live take-home dog for each guest.  We are also reminded at several points in the film by Lillian’s father than he’s “not paying for this Sh%#!”  leaving us to wonder who WILL be paying.  A wedding planner, in addition to setting a budget and staying within it, always looks to get the most for your money and spend in those areas that truly matter to you, rather than blowing your money on extravagant extras.
Note:  It is not common practice to give a bridal shower favor to all attendees… only the bridal party.

5) The Bachelorette You’ll Never Forget
While everyone wants their bachelorette to be fun and memorable, it’s important that the bachelorette party stays within the comfort zones and boundaries of the the guests.  One of the key lessons learned from the film concerns the bachelorette party.  At this point in the film, Annie is broke, and would prefer a bachelorette party close to home.  Helen advocates for Vegas, and the trip is on.  Unfortunately, Annie, in addition to not being able to afford the trip, has a fear of flying, which leads to the now infamous “air rage” episode that concludes with her being arrested by airport authorities.  A wedding planner would plan a bachelorette that is fun and memorable, but doesn’t result in harm to any of the guests or the bride. Again, the key here is that no one person is advocating their point of view over the desires and wishes of the others… the balance of power is equal and a group consensus can be more easily reached when an outsider is in charge.
6) United We Stand/Divided We Fall
The key theme in bridesmaids is not the wedding itself or the pursuit of “Mr. Right”, but rather, the importance of friendship.  It is Annie’s desire to hold on to her friendship with Lillian that causes her to make irrational decisions that backfire, and it is Helen’s desire to make a friend that spurs on her competitive streak.  If Lillian had only hired a wedding planner, she would have avoided placing undue stress on her best friend Annie at a time in her life when she could ill afford it, and avoided a series of costly wedding purchases designed to impress rather than ensure the comfort of the guests. Choosing a wedding planner can be one of the best ways to ensure that you don’t place unreasonable demands on your friends, and that peace and harmony ensue in your bridal party.  Most of all, a wedding planner is there to serve your agenda, rather than their personal interests, and this is the key to planning a successful wedding that will be memorable, well organized, on time, on budget, and a joy to behold for both you and your guests.