A pregnant bridesmaid or even the maid of honor! There’s one in every group! You may have had the luxury of knowing one of your girls is pregnant before you ask them to be in your bridal party allowing you to plan accordingly, but more often then not, it’s a surprise half way through the planning process. What’s a bride to do? We all know that pregnant women are in an altered state of mind many refer to as baby brain and can’t possibly perform their bridal party duties, but did you know that engaged women also suffer from a similar condition? Bride Brain puts normally loving, considerate and  compassionate women into a crazed state of mind with temporary side effects that make them selfish, delusional, paranoid and insensitive! So how do you deal with all these raging hormones and bridal party woes?

Here are some things to consider before you boot your bestie or have a meltdown. 

1. Your nearest and dearest friends are not out to sabotage your wedding.
2. Planet Earth does not revolve around your wedding. I checked, it doesn’t.
3. Believe it or not, other important life events are taking place during the time it takes to plan and execute your wedding.
4. A baby is a blessing and the miracle of pregnancy, birth and child rearing does not adhere to anyones schedule.
5. If you are the last in your group of friends to get married, don’t be surprised if several pregnancy or toddler and babysitting issues effect your wedding plans.
6. No, you cannot strategically hide your girls baby bump in pictures. This is not a sitcom.

Ok! Now thats that settled, and your head is clear, here are some tips for dealing with a preggo bridesmaid! 

1. Talk to her! Don’t make her feel bad for getting pregnant, taking the spotlight off of you and ruining your picture perfect symmetrical bridal party in matching gowns. Let her know how happy you are for her and how much you want her to be a part of your girl squad. Give her the option of bowing out if that’s what she feels most comfortable doing. A lot depends on her due date and how easy or difficult of a pregnancy she is having.
2. Be Realistic. Don’t expect her to make every event, stay out and party all night long for your Bachelorette or be able to pull all nighters making your wedding favors or DIY decor. Do find a way to make her feel included in every event even if it’s only for a little while. Growing a baby is an exhausting task both mentally and physically.
3. Wedding Day. Make sure you make the appropriate accommodations for your pregnant bridesmaid. If she is due close to the wedding, you may need to consider extra provisions like a chair for the ceremony or plenty of water on the shuttle bus. Also consider how much walking and picture taking you are planning on doing with your bridal party. You may need to alter or simplify your plans for bridal party pics. Remember, you and your hubby can still make the trek to the perfect scenic spot for portraits.

Fashion! Here are some tips for properly dressing your pregnant bridesmaid. 

1. Opt for an eclectic bridal party look. Give the girls some parameters like color and dress length and let everyone choose a gown that’s best for their body type. This way your preggo bridesmaid won’t be the odd man out.
2. Stick with dark, dramatic color gowns for a more mature look. Neutrals can wash your girl out and pastels can make her look like a giant Easter Egg. Long gowns are preferable because water retention in your legs and kankles are a fact of life when you’ve got a bun in the oven.
3. Loose fitting breathable fabric is best because when it comes to baby bellies and pregnant hormones, stretch is a good thing. Stay away from sexy low cut silhouettes. A pregnant Bridesmaid with her goods spilling out of her dress does not a pretty picture make.
4. Keep makeup natural, light and bright. A bridesmaid with a bulging belly and a heavy face of makeup is just akward. For the hair, opt for something whimsical and romantic. A tight matronly up-do may come off to stuffy.
5. When it comes to shoes, don’t force your girl to wear sexy stilettos. Give the go ahead for a great pair of strappy flats in a coordinating color. Being pregnant is tough enough without having to wobble around on 3 inch heels.

Here are some styles and colors I love from Davids Bridal! These styles are perfect for your expecting bridesmaid and mix in perfectly with the non-maternity gowns. The best part is these gowns are available in a variety of colors.

By Kristin Rockhill from Details of I Do Original article from her blog.  Photographer: Ashlee Mintz