The secret life of an undercover bridesmaid

Between 2014 and 2016, Tiffany Wright attended 17 weddings. As well as becoming an expert on guest etiquette, Wright noticed the brides had one thing in common.

“They always seemed quite stressed at certain points in the wedding,” she told Harper’s Bazaar. “Although she had family and friends around her, I didn’t feel there were things she could ask them to do in case they missed out on the fun.”

This observation was enough to inspire Wright, who had previously worked as a marriage proposal planner, to think about a new role in the wedding industry. She started a career as a professional bridesmaid, with the option of working “undercover” for the brides who might prefer to keep their helping hand a secret.

“I had been used to dealing with other people’s wedding problems, so it felt like the right time to set up my bridesmaid business,” she explained. Reflecting on her own experience as a bride also encouraged her to make the move.

“I got married in 2012 and and I had six bridesmaids,” Wright recalled. “When we were all getting ready together I discovered that my strapless bra, which I hadn’t tried on, was so uncomfortable. I would have loved to ask one of them to run out and get me another bra, and I remember thinking at that stage – ‘who is there to help me with this?'”

Wright recognised that brides, and sometimes grooms, often need an extra pair of hands to do the “boring jobs,” from organising transport to finding a quick way to remove a nail polish stain from a bridesmaid’s dress. By becoming a “bridal PA,” she has also tapped in to the multi-million pound wedding business which shows little sign of slowing down.

Wright offers three packages as part of her Undercover Bridesmaid service. For £250, the ‘Online Bridesmaid’ option is the most basic and includes 1:1 sessions where Wright will advise on arranging bridesmaid duties and the endless wedding planning choices, from colour themes to seating plans.