Curiocity: Bridesmaid Bar Crawl, A Success
I came, I saw, I crawled.
The first annual Bridesmaid Bar Crawl hit the streets of Minneapolis Friday night and boy, did we make a scene.
The biggest bows, most hideous color schemes and tackiest trains came out for a repeat public appearance, all to pay homage to the hundreds of dollars spent on our one-time-only garb.
In sum, the night was a blast. It's kind of funny how wearing dresses that were completely picked to make our brides shine on their big day can bond a group of women. They became the ultimate conversation starter with questions ranging from "Did you really wear that?" to "She told you aqua was neutral, huh?"
From one bar to the next, more than 400 bridesmaids filled seven different bars, collecting a combination of sympathy and laughs from those they passed.
At Seven, we sipped on cocktails and took pictures of all the new bridesmaids, as they arrived to begin their evening. What was even more great to see, besides the amount of taffeta pouring in, were the big bags of donations each bridesmaid brought in.
While one of the objectives of the night was to get a second usage of those dusty gowns, a second, more rewarding, goal was to donate those other dresses, shoes and accessories ready to be passed along to a new home. All donations were sent to Operation Glass Slipper, a nonprofit organization that provides prom gowns free of charge to financially-strapped high school girls.
The more the girls donated, the more they were eligible for fabulous prizes in the evening's raffle drawing. It was truly a win-win for all involved. And drastically helped me clean out my closet.
Back to the bar crawl, the women were free to hit the different bars on their own -- with each boasting free cover and a few drinks specials just for the ladies of honor.
My gal pals and I decided to hit 508 Bar after Seven for some much needed dancing and like it usually goes, when you're looking your most ridiculous, you tend to run into the people you'd like to impress.
Friday, apparently, was no different. On our way to 508, head-to-toe in our bridesmaid best, we spotted none other than Miss Tabatha Coffey, host of Tabatha's Salon Takeover.
Miss Coffey was oddly enough perched on the outdoor patio of 508 Bar and was most kind to humor a bunch of fans, even more oddly enough, dressed in bridal wear. Of course, she had to ask about our unusual evening attire and was tickled by the idea of a Bridesmaid Pub Crawl.
After our celebrity sighting, we headed into the bar only to find a bunch of bridesmaids on the dance floor. For a second, it truly looked like one of the craziest weddings ever.
From one bar to the next, bridesmaids danced the night away, met new friends, made memories with old friends and turned out to be the best people watching Minneapolis has seen in quite some time.
The evening was a blast from beginning to end. But like any event involving heels and a gown, eventually the magic wore off, our stagecoach turned back into a pumpkin and yes, our feet were mightily sore. (Well, those of us that weren't smart enough to ditch the pumps for flip-flops or tennis shoes -- great idea to those smarter bridesmaids than I!)
It was a great night for a good cause. And if you missed out this year, don't fret -- organizer Whitney Mares says they're hoping to make it annual event. Let the bridesmaid dress collection begin!
