Last year, one of my girlfriends invited me to be a bridesmaid in her wedding. I was thrilled, and accepted happily. I had no idea what it all involved. Be careful if you get a similar invitation, don’t accept until you consider all of the duties involved.

Have you ever heard jokes about unattractive bridesmaids dresses? Those jokes exist for a reason. You’ll be asked to wear a horrid dress you will never want to wear again. Worse, the dress will be expensive and you will be expected to pay for it yourself. Oh, and if it doesn’t fit right, you can figure on altering it for fit at your own expense as well.

But wait, there’s more. You also have a bridal shower. This is like a formal party to celebrate the bride. Guess who plans this? The bridesmaid! You have to plan it and organize it, find the location, invite all of the guests, figure out the food and order it, and so on.