It's Tuesday and it's time for a guest post! We love when we have the opportunity to share with you the thoughts, insight and experiences of other wedding industry professionals. Today's guest post is from Alyssa Ennis, a bridal blogger and professional wedding photographer from the Seattle area.  

From bridesmaids to groomsmen, maids of honor to best men, the main role of the bridal party is to keep the bride and groom as anxiety-free as possible. Whether this means simply shuffling into the right positions at the right times or arranging the most high-octane, Michael Bay-esque bachelor party ever will vary widely depending on the couple.

There is, however, one universal: knowing the basic in's and out's of what’s expected of you in the lead up to the big day will go a long way towards keeping the process as low stress as possible for everyone involved – you included!

So, without further ado, here is all that the wedding party needs to do before walking down that aisle.

Bridesmaids
A bridesmaid is part-sister, part-fashion consultant and part-worker bee. Her duties include:

•Helping with the shopping. Bring out the wedding magazines: the bride may ask you
for help in finding her dress and picking wedding colors and themes. She may also have you help select the bridesmaid dresses, or she will simply send you a link and ask for your sizes. You will be responsible for purchasing your dress, shoes, and all accessories.
•Partying it up, pre-wedding style. From the bridal shower to the bachelorette party, you’ll be expected to participate in all of the pre-wedding festivities. The maid of honor (MOH) may also ask you to help make and pay for arrangements, and you’ll definitely need to pony up for a great wedding gift.
•Attending the rehearsal dinner. The rehearsal dinner is crucial for knowing how it’s
going to go down the next day. And, if there are any extra pre-wedding parties, make sure to track and attend them as well.
•Standing in the receiving line. This one is optional, so be sure to ask at the rehearsal dinner whether or not you’ll be lining up.
•Being the life of the party. Both before the wedding and during, the bridesmaids help greet the guests and make everyone feel comfortable. And, hey, if you love dancing, no one’s going to complain if you get the dance floor buzzing, too.
•Giving the MOH a helping hand. If the MOH is there to calm the bride, you’re there to calm both the bride and the MOH. Keep your eyes peeled for signs of stress and be ready to pitch in! Looking for even more tips for being the world’s best bridesmaid? Check out this for a few extra pointers.

Maid of Honor Extras
Being the (MOH) comes with a <>few more responsibilities, including:

• Keeping a record of who sent what. The bride will turn to you to track gifts, and potentially RSVP's as well.
•Planning the pre-wedding parties. While any friend is allowed to plan the engagement party, the bridal shower and bachelorette party fall squarely on you.
•Keeping track of the bridesmaids. Whether it’s making sure everyone gets to the
rehearsal dinner and ceremony on time, arranging for makeup and hair styling, or enlisting the team to help greet guests, the MOH is in charge of herding the bridesmaids from place to place.
•Signing the marriage license. Along with the best man, you will be a witness and signatory to the marriage license—depending on the state.
•Being the chief therapist. There’s no two ways around it: being the MOH may very well mean a lot of late night sobfests. Charge up that phone!

Groomsmen
Groomsmen, just like their bridesmaid counterparts, are there to support the groom throughout the wedding process. The groomsmen duties include:

•Paying for wedding gear. From tuxes to ties and those gleaming, fancy shoes, make sure you know what gear to buy and get it ordered pronto so there’s time for tailoring.
•Partying it up. Between the engagement party, bachelor party and rehearsal dinner, it’s up to you to party it up in a big way. The best man may also ask you for help in planning and paying for the bachelor party.
•Painting the getaway car. Contact the bridesmaids and begin plotting nefarious plans for decorating the honeymoon getaway car.
•Buying a wedding present. Whether you pool your resources with the other groomsmen or go solo, make sure you get the couple something good – not something that could be pasted to a college dorm wall.
•Lending your arm. On the big day, make sure you arrive 45 minutes to help escort guests to their seats – particularly those who are elderly. For Christian ceremonies, this will mean seating the guests of the bride’s family on the left, while Jewish ceremonies will be the opposite. That arm will also be used for escorting a bridesmaid down the aisle.

Best Man Extras
The best man is the leader of the groomsman. As well as the groomsmen’s duties, the best man must also help in:

•Picking out formal wear. You will also guide the groomsmen in buying or renting their own.
•Planning the bachelor party. Whether you head to Vegas or go snowboarding, it’s up to you to make sure the party’s festivities match the groom’s party style and to arrange all of the little details, like hotel and flight bookings.
•Helping make it official. Sign as a witness on the marriage license and make sure to pay the officiant after the ceremony. (The groom will provide the cash, but he’ll be busy celebrating after the nuptials).
•Preparing a speech. You’ll be the first one to toast the couple after the ceremony, so get writing!

In Short
Weddings are a time for celebration. With the entire bridal party working to make the day go smoothly, it should be just that. So get to know your duties, buy your formal wear, and get excited for the big day!

Alyssa is a bridal-savvy blogger and avid DIY-er living in the Seattle area. Through her work as a professional wedding photographer, Alyssa has developed a keen eye for both classic wedding styles and modern day trends (though she tends to gravitate towards all things vintage!). 

You can keep up with Alyssa via Twitter.

Dressing your bridesmaids is one of the most stressful decisions you can make. Everyone has a different body type, style, opinion and many times, budget. If you are a bride with practical tendencies, you probably also stress about asking your besties to fork over several hundred dollars for a dress they will only wear once. (I personally have a closet full of them!)

That is why I am loving the idea behind durga-kali's reversible bridesmaid dress. The dresses are in flattering, simple silhouettes and their soft, silk-like material are not your typical bridesmaid dress fabric. Your bridesmaids can wear them in your wedding coordinated shade on the day of the wedding, but then reverse them to the black side for a little black dress - a staple in every woman's closet.  My favorite is above. What is yours? 

Photographer: DK / Submitted via Two Bright Lights

One of my favorite trends is the floral print bridesmaid dress. I love how a great pattern can give the dresses a vintage flair or provide an amazing color palette from which to draw your wedding inspiration.  

Flowers
Styling a floral print wedding dress can be a little tricky though. Since the dress is generally busy, you should choose bouquets that are more simple. 

Choose bouquets that are made up of a single one color flower or many flowers in a single color. I love the simple baby's breath bouquets with a great floral print. You do not want your bouquets and your dresses to compete for center stage. They should complement each other. 

Jewelry
You can put almost any kind of jewelry with a flora print bridesmaid dress, but you should follow the same guidelines as in choosing your bouquet. Let the dress shine and choose simple but interesting jewelry. 

Shoes
The type of shoes you put with the dress can completely change the look and feel of the dress. Have your bridesmaids wear a pair of peep toe heels for vintage glam or your brides can pull on their cowboy boots for a rustic chic wedding. 

Hair
Your bridesmaids should wear their hair in ultra feminine and flirty styles to match the feminine style of the dress. Think loose curls or braids. 

What do you think? Would you use floral bridesmaid dresses? Tell me in comment section below!

Are you looking for the perfect earrings to match your bridesmaids' dresses? I promise that Lauren at boho blossoms can hook you up with a pair of these blooms in the perfect shade. We chatted a little about her Etsy shop and her favorite things about weddings. Also, check out the bottom of the post to find out how to nab a pair for yourself. (P.S. Everyone is a winner!)

Jenn: Tell us about how you started boho blossoms?
Lauren: As a newlywed (we will be celebrating two years in September… that is still considered newlywed… right?), I was searching for a new craft to turn my passions to. Bright colors and statement jewelry all came together in my creation of bohoblossoms! With just over four months of having my shop open on Etsy, I have fallen head over heels in love with these blooms! I’ve been blessed to create earrings for a bride and her bridesmaids,special earrings for a baby shower, and create custom packaging to make gifts of the heart that much more special!

Jenn: That is so awesome! So, what can my brides expect when they order their own pair of boho blossoms? 
Lauren: Brides can expect a smooth process when ordering from bohoblossoms! Typically they simply ask to see all the blooms in a certain color - and I can then send the bride photos of all the blooms in all the shades. Once the flowers are chosen, they can be made into dangle, post, or flower flip earrings! 

Jenn: Okay, I am in love with your personalized earring cards! They are the perfect little gift to give your bridesmaid, mom, or earn some points with the mother-in-law! How do we order those?
Lauren: Since I adore paper crafts, I've had a lot of fun personalizing the earring cards! If a basic card is being used, then just order the earrings as. If you have a special color scheme or a quote you'd like to include, just let me know! I've created a special personalized listing for made-to-order earring cards!

Jenn: So, what are your future plans for boho blossoms? Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now?
Lauren: Five years... wow  I keep joking with my husband that we can quit our jobs any day now! But seeing as though we just bought our first house a few days ago and have hopes of filling those extra rooms with children - I don't know if that is completely possible! But a girl can dream! I love this crafting adventure so much - and I don't plan on stopping any time soon! I continue to grow my line as I learn new techniques or create new projects my supporters love! I'd love to continue to have my earrings ship across the country - and would love the chance to get into a boutique soon!

Jenn: It sounds like you and your husband are on a really exciting adventure together! Since you have been through wedding planning, what is your advice for brides? 
Lauren: Advice for future brides? Quit stressing. Don't focus so much on the wedding - but take that energy and focus on the MARRIAGE! We've made the wedding day such a huge event - and that is wonderful and fun and such a memorable time! But there is also the marriage you are creating on that day. For every moment you spend worrying about the color and fold of napkins and the type of chair your guests will sit on, you should be spending 10 times that on your relationship with your husband-to-be. The napkins will be used, the cake will be devoured, but that next morning (and the thousands and thousands of mornings after that) you'll be waking up next to your husband. Don't you think that deserves a great amount of love and attention as those details on your big day?

Jenn: What is your favorite wedding tradition?
Lauren: My favorite wedding tradition is easy - the vows. Since I consider myself a woman of words (and English and Writing major in college) - those words we shared that day mean everything to me! We spent a lot of time before our wedding making sure each word we shared in our vows would hold us accountable, remind us, and build our marriage with strength and love. We also read love letters to each other during the ceremony - and those are the wedding traditions I hold so close to my heart.

You know we love giveaways and we are so grateful Lauren is giving away the two pretty pairs you see to the left. So, how do you win? I thought you would never ask...
1. Like the boho blossom Facebook page.
2. Leave a comment about the color or pair you love the most!
And that's your entry! 
Extra Entry: Refer a friend to this giveaway. Tell them to include referred by: your name in their comment and you get a bonus entry!
Hurry, the drawing closes at midnight on Friday, August 3rd, 2012. Drawing will be held by randomizer and the winner will be contacted via the email they entered with. 

Plus, I promised EVERYONE is a winner this time and here it is...
Get 10 percent off when you use the code woodlandsbride10 to order your own favorite pair here! 

It is a very happy Monday when I have the opportunity to share the pics from a collaborative shoot of BHLDN and Something Special in Flowers, all captured by Christa Elyce in the Houston location. If you don't know about BHLDN yet, they are the bridal shop of Anthropologie, which we all know and deeply love. I have so much love for these dresses. They are vintage and glamourous and detailed. 

If you are searching for the perfect little something to give your girls, look no further because I believe I have found the ultimate bridesmaids gift. Plum Pretty Sugar has created a line of "loungerie" that is perfect for your bridesmaids to wear when they are getting ready for your wedding. And definitely pick one up for yourself. After all, you will take a lot of pictures before you slip into your dress...Read More to see some of my favorites!