FOR THE LOVE OF FRIENDS

Demanding brides, body-shaming bridesmaids, momzillas, and one woman caught in the middle of it all.

Lily Weiss is a 32-year-old aspiring writer who has a gift for turning the complicated scientific discoveries at the foundation she works for into digestible press releases. When Lily, single, much to her mother’s dismay, finds herself as a bridesmaid in not one, not two, but five weddings (including both of her younger siblings!), she decides to take matters into her own hands and creates a blog about her experiences. Documenting every cruel jape from entitled brides and fellow bridesmaids and the thousands of dollars she is compelled to spend on dresses, lavish bridal showers, and minimizing bras, Lily does not hold back about her experiences: “Bride A, which apparently stands for Asshole, went so far beyond the realm of human comprehension today....Not only did she suggest I get Botox—literally, she told me to put poison in my face—but she also expects me to shell out two grand for her bachelorette weekend AT THE RITZ.” But as Lily’s love life becomes more complicated—a drunken night with a creepy groomsman makes her hesitant to take a chance on recently divorced Alex—and as her moral compass starts nagging at her (should she really be anonymously documenting the private lives of those involved, including members of her own family?), Lily begins to realize she is not blameless in this bridal party hell. Frequently mistaking nastiness for wit, Lily’s blog and inner monologue can be difficult to read. However, the author does a decent job of bringing Lily to a moral reckoning that is ultimately satisfying.

A "What Not To Do" for any prospective bridesmaid.