Last year I was a bridesmaid for a friend of mine. When she first asked me to be a bridesmaid I was very excited and honored. I didn’t know the work that would be involved, though. Before you find yourself signed up as a bridesmaid, you might want to consider the following duties.

First, figure that you are likely to hate the dress but you will have to pay for it and wear it anyhow. I’ve seen bridesmaid dresses that were so horrible that the bridesmaid considered burning it, but ended up just donating it to charity instead. You’ll pay a good price for the unattractive dress and yet more for the matching shoes and any alteration that will be required to make it fit right.

You aren’t done with expense and trouble after the dress either. You’ll end up having to host a bridal shower. This is a party that you need to plan for the bride. You are going to need to figure out where it will be, send out the invites, make or purchase food, and be there to make sure it all comes off smoothly.

Double dating is an agreeable way to go out and have a good date with your girlfriend or boyfriend and another couple. It also gives your partner the opportunity to meet your friends and it can provide a comfortable, more casual date for someone who might be a little anxious and possibly not ready to go out on a one-to-one date just yet. Judging by the old films we see from time to time on television, even the black and white ones dating from the 1920’s, double dating has always been very popular.

Double dating is also an excellent idea if you would like to meet someone new, but you are not really comfortable being alone with them yet. To resolve this, you can request a couple you know to come with you too. This allows you to be around people you are comfortable with, while you are getting to know your date. Some people prefer to go on a double date first of all, so that they are not so nervous on that all-important first date, because as we all know, first impressions count a great deal.