Can You Fire a Bridesmaid?

Spending quality time with your bridesmaids is often one of the happier parts of wedding planning, but it's normal to have the occasional disagreement with your ladies, especially when tensions are running high. That being said, there are instances when a 'maid, or maid-of-honor seriously shirks on her responsibilities, and when this happens, can you ask her to resign from her duties?

While it's within your rights to "fire" her, this will likely end your friendship. Instead, try talking to her first. You may end up cutting her some slack. She might be so overwhelmed with work or life issues that her wedding duties are taking a back seat. Another option is to let her step down of her own accord. You could say, "I don't want to force you to do anything that makes you unhappy, so please let me know if you're not up for this. I won't hold it against you."

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The best way to avoid any awkwardness is to make sure all of your ladies know from the beginning what will be expected of them. Before you make the formal request, you should give them an estimate on total costs (for dresses, hairstyling, travel, etc.), and let them know how much time and energy you'll mostly likely need from them. That way, they can gracefully decline if they're not up to the task. Most importantly, make sure your bridesmaids know that they can always come to you if the burden gets to be too much.

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