Bad Bridesmaid: an underachieving, inadequate, sinful, vulgar, naughty or disobedient bridal attendant. Usually characterized by eye- rolling, drunkenness, lack of pantyhose and an overdrawn bank account.Siri Agrell didn’t mean to become a bad bridesmaid. It just kind of happened when this National Post columnist innocently asked via a newspaper pieceif it was really necessary for the bride’s best and most loyal friends to endure 12 months of themed showers, endless fittings and the inevitable “taffeta terror” of coming face to face with the chosen dress. Agrell got her answer when she was promptly fired as a bridesmaid. But her friend’s loss is a win for the millions of women-in-waiting who, despite the fact that they love their brides, can’t quite believe what they’re being asked to swallow along with their champagne.
Part memoir (including both Agrell’s story and countless other confessions of bridesmaids-gone-bad) and part cultural analysis, Bad Bridesmaid is wholly and smartly funny, a stilettoheel print on an ivory silk train. Bad Bridesmaid devilishly dissects the hilarious, expensive and unbelievable experiences of leading a treasured friend down the aisle, and asks why it all has to be so damn difficult. From the history of bridesmaidswho in ancient times were used as decoysto their contemporary role of strapless dresswearing servitudeAgrell covers it all. Why are we powerless against the shower’s reign? Why do we not demand more than a one-night stand with our bridesmaid dress? Does anyone really want to watch a male stripper?
For my friend’s shower, I was given a piece of paper with the bride’s measurements on it and found myself spending an afternoon contemplating how she would look in flagrante delicto in a variety of expensive lacy accoutrements. On the day of, she unwrapped enough underwear to pull off a solo Victoria’s Secret lingerie show, accompanied by the earnest nods of her friends and co-workers, who confirmed to one another knowingly, “He’s really going to like that one.” The ridiculousness of outfitting a friend like a high-class hooker cannot be acknowledged by bridesmaids, who must ignore the fact that the bride wears flannel jammies and shouldn’t really be able to keep a straight face wearing white down the aisle, let alone in the sack. To this day, I can’t help imagining my friend walking seductively into her marital bedroom wearing nothing but five inches of black silk and whispering softly in her husband’s ear, “This one’s from your mom.” from Bad Bridesmaid

Bad Bridesmaid

Agrell, Siri

Reference

HarperCollins, Publishers

A laugh-out-loud look at the most underrated supporting role in today's maxed-out wedding world, featuring "bad bridesmaids" who've had enough taffeta to last a lifetime I just can't have any negative energy around my wedding." This is what Siri Agrell's best friend told her just before kicking her out of the wedding that Agrell had spent many months--and dollars--preparing for. Her offense? It's not that she slept with the groom, or even the best man. She didn't get drunk at the shower. She didn't buy the cheapest casserole dish on the registry. But she did question the role of today's much-maligned bridesmaid in an article she wrote for a national newspaper. Despite the bags of fan mail the piece generated, the bride was not amused. Agrell was booted from the bridal party in favor of a similarly sized cousin--and no, she did not get reimbursed for the $100 gold shoes she'd already bought to match the bridesmaid dress. Now she's putting all that experience and fan mail to good use: like no other book on the market, Bad Bridesmaid is a hilarious tale of weddings gone wild, full of anecdotes and advice from women worldwide, and the perfect gift to get former, current, and future bridesmaids ready for action (or therapy). It's time to give the bridesmaid back her voice, her independence, and the natural waistline that has long been hidden under layers of responsibility and badly constructed tulle!

Bad Bridesmaid: Bachelorette Brawls and Taffeta Tantrums--Tales from the Front Lines

Henry Holt and Co.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Agrell, Siri. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Agrell, Siri

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Agrell, Siri. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Bad Bridesmaid

Bad Bridesmaid: Bachelorette Brawls and Taffeta Tantrums--Tales from the Front Lines