One of the most exciting parts of getting engaged and kicking off your wedding planning process is the act of asking your favorite people in the world to be your bridesmaid. Chances are, you’ve through long and hard about who you want to stand beside you, up at the altar, as you get ready to say I Do. You’ve probably already thought about the style of bridesmaid dress that would look good on your group of gal pals as they transform into members of your bridal party.

So the next step, the fun step, is finally asking them a question that filled with excitement, emotions, and great expectations: Will you be my bridesmaid?

Often times, brides wonder when is the best time to pop this question? The key is to not do it too soon. A newly engaged bride may be so excited for what is to come, that she starts popping the question to her friends the first week she is engaged. The problem with this is that plans change. At first, you may think you want twelve bridesmaids, but as you begin to plan your wedding and the size of your wedding, you may see that twelve is way too much and you’re better off with three. You may even want to wait to see how many groomsmen your fiancé wants to have and come up with a joint number together.

If the wedding you are planning is two years away, you may want to wait a longer amount of time before asking your bridesmaids to be your bridesmaids – since sometimes how close you are with certain people changes over the years.

The best rule is to ask your friends, and family members, to be your bridesmaids anywhere between a year to eight months before your wedding. That will give them enough time to plan the bachelorette party and get the dress. Any less time, may not be enough time for them to be able to make the commitment to taking on a role that can be a financial, emotional, and time drain.