Inside Life as a Professional Bridesmaid: 'Bride Locked Me in a Room'

By her early 20s, Jen Glantz had been a bridesmaid almost a dozen times. One night, two distant friends asked her to be a bridesmaid for them, and she found herself venting to her roommate.

"My roommate said, 'Duh, Jen, that's because you're good at it. You're like a professional bridesmaid or something,'" Glantz told Newsweek.

Her roommate's words sparked an idea: If she could be a bridesmaid for distant friends, why not for strangers? That night she posted an ad on Craigslist offering her services as a hired bridesmaid. In just 48 hours, Glantz received over 300 responses and booked her first client.

Today, Glantz, the founder of Bridesmaid for Hire and author of Always a Bridesmaid for Hire, offers brides a hand to hold on the biggest day of their lives.

"Strangers hire us to be their bridesmaid for the day," Glantz said. "But the job is much more than that. We do all the things a bridesmaid would do—walk down the aisle, wear the dress, give a toast, dance on the dance floor, handle cold feet, make a last-minute run for eyelash glue. Plus, we're a support system before the wedding begins."

By being available to help make arrangements, attend bachelorette parties, bridal showers and more—the professional bridesmaid is a whole-package support system for prospective brides.

Why Hire a Professional Bridesmaid?

"There are so many reasons people hire us, but there are two common emails we get," Glantz said. "First, not everyone has a close-friend group of pals to support them. Second, not everyone has a friend group that's...reliable."

While family members and friends may be willing to be part of the big day, they may not be able to fly across the country to help find the perfect dress. And a best friend may have the best of intentions but not know where to start when it comes to planning a bridal shower.

Hiring a professional bridesmaid allows friends and family to be part of the fun parts while someone else does the heavy lifting.

"You can still honor your friends and family by having them be your bridesmaids," Glantz said, but without the burden of the "dirty work."

"We do all the tough tasks and the draining ones too, so you can have a stress-free experience with the people you love," she said.

Who Hires a Professional Bridesmaid?

In the past eight years, Bridesmaid for Hire has worked with clients from a range of backgrounds and has been a part of weddings that cost over $500,000 as well as those that cost under $10,000.

"We work weddings for people who need a support system to help them get through their wedding adventure," Glantz said. "The story of the person is always different, but the reason is always the same."

For many clients, secrecy is key. "Clients want to hire us and keep it a secret. That's when we put on a disguise, have a fake name and backstory, and really immerse ourselves in a person's life," Glantz said.

Starting at $2,500, packages offer a range of services, from just on-the-day wedding support to having your hired bridesmaid at every pre-wedding event.

Weird and Wonderful Moments

After years of being present at one of the biggest events in people's lives, Glantz has seen her fair share of wedding experiences.

"My favorite memory was the first wedding I ever worked for a bride in Minnesota," she recalled. "She fired her maid of honor because that friend wasn't giving her support, ignoring her phone calls and showing her hints of jealousy. The bride's mom had passed away a few years ago, and she just craved having someone there, by her side, who could make her feel comfortable, special and have her back through all of the stressful and complicated moments of getting married."

While weddings are filled with beautiful and heartwarming moments, they aren't always all glamorous.

"I worked a wedding outside in a field in Nevada. Right before it was time to walk down the aisle, I noticed animal poop up and down the aisle," Glantz said. "If I didn't remove it, it would stain and ruin the bride's white dress. I had no other option but to scoop it up using my bare hands. The bride still thanks me for doing this, and her wedding was four years ago."

Glantz has also been at the center of some uncomfortable bridesmaid moments—including the day a bride almost changed her mind.

"Ten minutes before a wedding I worked in Staten Island, a bride locked me in a room with her and told me she hated the groom and didn't want to get married. I had never had that happen before," Glantz said. "I told her she didn't have to do this and I'd call us an Uber to escape, but first she needed to at least tell the groom."

After she put the couple together to talk, they agreed to go through with the wedding but not to sign the marriage license.

"The day went completely unplanned. It was an outdoor wedding, and it rained. The cake was being moved, and it dropped. Everything just went wrong. A week later, they split up," Glantz said. "I think about this wedding often and how I'm glad I made them chat before helping her become a runaway bride."