Bridesmaid Meet and Greet Brunch UPDATED- Successful fun time!

Sounds fun to me

I think this sounds fun. Just keep it low key (vs scheduling events). "they don't have to be friends" maybe not but if they don't get along it's going to be a rough ride for lots of people (speaking from experience) I would appreciate an opportunity to break the ice BEFORE it's at a wedding event

I think its a nice idea and would appreciate it if I was in your wedding party. Of course, no one is obligated to attend but it would be nice to know the other important people in my friend's life.

I did this with my bridesmaids. It was a lot of fun. We literally talked about the wedding for all of 5 minutes. The rest of the time was spent laughing, talking, and drinking mimosas. Our brunch lasted for like 4 hours! While there should be no expectation of them all being friends, it was a cool introduction to one another since I know them from different stages of my life.

My crowd all love brunch so this was a no brainer. It didn't feel like another thing on the checklist. Just a girls' day.

I knew there would be some negative reactions, I think this is a great idea!

My birthday brunch celebration happened to be right after I asked my bridesmaids so some of the girls happened to meet one another at my birthday brunch. To my surprise, some of the girls actually WANTED a casual gathering like this and asked my MOH to organize some sort of pre-wedding hangout. I think its a great idea and doesn't make it seem like you have high expectations..... If someone doesn't want to come or is too busy .....then they just don't come.

I was a bridesmaid in a wedding that organized one of these and I loved it! I'm not in touch with any of the other girls anymore, but it gave us a chance to meet before we started planning the shower and bachelorette together.

TBH this kind of sounds like a business meeting to me. You said it yourself, they are busy girls and are already asked to attend a bridal shower, bachelorette party, the wedding itself, engagement party (if you had one)... this just adds another event. They don't have to meet beforehand. They can communicate through text, Facebook, etc. If you just want a fun day with the girls, by all means invite them over, but don't make it seems like it's required for them to attend because there's an agenda. If wedding info comes up organically (like they ask when you're free to do your bachelorette) have at it. Otherwise I would leave wedding planning/timeline talk out of it.

Edit: spelling

Yes, but we did it with the entire bridal party and didn't discuss the wedding AT ALL (also, it was my BM idea and she hosted the mini-party in her yard... plenty of food and booze). It wasn't really a wedding related event, only by way of who was invited, it was truly just intended to be a fun night out with our friends. Of 8 people in the BP, only 4 were able to make it, and that was completely fine.

If you're going to do this, I would suggest making it just a get-together (no wedding "business") and leaving it completely optional.

Otherwise, have fun.. and booze *always* helps ease any awkwardness lol.

A girls' day with free food and mimosas? Count me in!! I love shit like this haha

My bridesmaids met when I took them out to lunch and we went dress shopping. Everyone got along pretty well, even though there are some big personalities

As a sidenote, my friend did this for her wedding. She had 4 bridesmaids and I was one of them. I'm still in contact with 2 of them. We had such an amazing time at all the events and really hit it off.

Sounds like a fun time to me, as long as it isn't mandatory. My MOH encouraged me to invite my BM to wedding expos and bridal shows. We went to 3, MOH attended all of them and some of the BM attended some as well. After we went to OUR spot and had some lunch and mimosas. The girls were able to meet. They knew of each other, but some have never hung out with one another. We always had a great time. Then when we moved on to dress shopping, one of the girls would always say, "are we going to our spot afterwards?" I think mimosas are key to these little gatherings.

ETA: spelling be champ

I was a bridesmaid and an Ex was a groomsman. We parted on less than happy terms 6 months earlier. We both acted like adults and were cordial. All it takes is a tablespoon of manners and thinking of somebody else instead of yourself.

I think this is fun and very generous of you. Obviously they're not going to become BFFs. But if they are YOUR BFFs, they may enjoy meeting the people they're going to (at the very least) be spending your wedding day with. I was a bridesmaid for a bride I barely knew (long story, all good things though), and I had only first met her BMs at her bachelorette party. Everything worked out fine, but it would have been cool to have a little meet and greet beforehand.

That sounds great! A lot of people met at my bachelorette. All my friends/family and FH family are super friendly. Everyone got along great.

That sounds like a lot of fun. We will probably have some kind of get together for al the BMs ands GMs. The GMs are all friends, but the BMs barely know each other and only one of the BMs knows any of he GMs. Even if they did all know each other, we would probably do something fun anyway, as a thank you for all they've meant to us.

And the only involvement OP said she is having withthe BP and showers are the dates, and yes, she does have to be a part of setting the dates. She is the VIP at those events, they need to be on days that work for her.

"they don't need to be friends" jfc. Speaking for myself, I have severe social anxiety so meeting / mingling with other members of the BP would really help ease my anxiety. Plus what if they want to become friends? God forbid they socialize with each other. I mean, Maybe they do, maybe they don't but I don't see anything wrong with getting them together at an optional event that's not costing them anything but time with their dear friend (bride). It could be fun!

Wait now mothers can't throw showers?! Now that's a first... why the hell not? Never ever heard of that @Christy.

@op I think this sounds fun. I love a good brunch and why not?! It's not like it's mandatory. I love entertaining and all my girls do too.

Im hosting a meet and greet brunch. Im having a "paint party" as the activity with no other wedding discussions except formally thanking them for saying yes and getting to know one another and just have fun.

Seriously @Mikayla! I have to agree with you.

OP sounds like a fun time! I use any excuse to get together with my friends to have brunch and mimosas

I think it's a great idea! This is not forcing them to be friends. The wedding will be more fun for all your girls if they've already met each other at least once, in a non wedding related event or setting. ETA: even though you'll be discussing wedding topics, the whole event isn't focused around the wedding.

We are having bridal party Olympics in our backyard this summer... Filled with backyard games, drinking, and fun.. quite a few members of our bridal party have not met so we thought this would be a fun way to get together.. plus we love hosting parties at our home !!

@FutureMrsE If I could like your comment twice I would and @Jillian I've only ever heard of mothers not throwing showers for their daughters on the WW boards.. my cousins both recently got married in the last year and both of my aunts threw their daughters a shower. In upstate New York it's pretty normal I think. Maybe not in the South? I think Christy is from Louisville