Professional bridesmaid who charges thousands says the job has ‘brutal downsides’

A professional bridesmaid who says she is paid thousands of dollars to attend weddings is highlighting the less glamorous aspects of the job, saying it often involves heavy emotional labor, fraught family situations and long hours.

Jen Glantz, 37, of Brooklyn, New York, told the Daily Mail that what began as a “funny experiment” in her early 20s has become a full-time business. After serving as a bridesmaid for “almost a dozen” friends, Glantz posted an ad on Craigslist offering to be a hired bridesmaid and received more than 300 responses within 48 hours, she said.

Glantz said the rapid response made clear there was real demand for an outside, experienced presence at weddings. Brides who hire her, she told the paper, often seek someone who “wasn’t tied up in drama, but still knew the role inside out.” That request, she added, frequently comes with secrets, complicated family dynamics and stressed-out bridal parties that require more than a traditional bridesmaid’s duties.

She began marketing herself under the name Bridesmaid for Hire and has since been booked for dozens of events. Glantz and other professional attendants typically charge fees that they say can amount to thousands of dollars per wedding, reflecting time spent on planning, travel and on-the-ground work the day of the event.

In her account to the Daily Mail, Glantz emphasized that the role extends beyond wearing a dress and delivering a toast. Duties can include mediating disputes among family members or bridal party members, coordinating with vendors, handling crises that arise during the celebration, and offering emotional support to a nervous bride. Those responsibilities, she said, can take a toll on the attendant even when compensated well.

Glantz’s experience points to a niche service that has emerged alongside evolving wedding culture and the broader gig economy. Couples increasingly outsource tasks tied to ceremonies and receptions, and some are willing to pay for an impartial, experienced attendant to help smooth the day. Advocates of the service argue it provides practical help and reduces stress; critics say it commercializes a traditionally personal role.

Glantz framed her business as meeting an unmet need. “Brides reached out with big secrets, complicated family dynamics, and stressed-out bridal parties,” she said. “They wanted someone in their corner who wasn’t tied up in drama, but still knew the role inside out.”

She also acknowledged the personal costs. Professional attendants must manage irregular schedules, travel and the emotional burden of supporting clients through highly personal moments. Those realities, Glantz suggested, temper the allure of the high fees and Instagram-friendly wedding photos.

As Bridesmaid for Hire has grown, Glantz has spoken publicly about both the opportunities and the strains of the work. Her experience illustrates how service-based roles tied to major life events can become full-time livelihoods while carrying responsibilities that extend far beyond ceremony day logistics.