Summary:
In the tradition of Sloane Crosley, Mindy Kaling, and Katie Heaney, a hilarious and insightful memoir about one New York City Millennial’s journey to find herself, her dream career, and true love, all while juggling a truly unique job as the world’s only professional bridesmaid.
After moving to New York City in her mid-twenties to pursue her dream of writing—and not living on the “Upper East Side” of her parents’ house anymore—Jen Glantz looked forward to a future of happy hours and Sunday brunches with her besties.
What she got instead were a string of phone calls that began with, “Jen, I have something exciting to tell you!” and ended with, “I’d be honored if you would be my bridesmaid.” At first she was delighted, but it wasn’t long before she realized two things: all of her assets were tied up in bridesmaid dresses, and she herself was no closer to finding The One. She couldn’t do much about the second thing (though her mother would beg to differ), but she could about the first.
One (slightly tipsy) night, Jen posted an ad on Craigslist advertising her services as a professional bridesmaid. When she woke up the next morning, it had gone viral. What began as a half-joke suddenly turned into a lifetime of adventure for Jen–and more insight into the meaning of love than she was getting from OKCupid—as she walked down the aisle at stranger after stranger’s wedding.
Fresh, funny, and surprisingly sweet, Always a Bridesmaid (For Hire) is an entertaining reminder that even if you don’t have everything together, you can still be a total boss—or, at the very least, a BFF to another girl in need.
Review:
I have to say, I was beyond curious to read this memoir from Jen Glantz! A bridesmaid for hire – how did this idea come about, and how did it actually work? I had to know! This book is filled with humor, inspiration, heart-warming moments, and self-reflection. There were so many times I found myself nodding along to what Jen was saying, and chatting with my friend (and future bride-to-be!) about this story. I loved each of the wedding stories that she chose to share, and it was easy to see how Jen excelled at being a professional bridesmaid, because I felt like we became friends just from reading this book! Get this on your reading list!
