We all know planning a wedding is no walk in the park, so when you add to that a global pandemic and ever-changing government guidelines, chaos tends to lurk right around the corner. While some brides are blessed to face the challenges with grace under pressure, there are others that can’t keep wedding stress at bay. If you are one of the bride’s chosen few for her entourage, your duties do not begin and end on the wedding day itself. As part of the bride tribe, you also accepted the role of assisting and supporting the bride in the planning process. With the current situation preventing the gang from meeting up for drinks or planning a relaxing getaway, we’ve listed 7 physically-distant ideas you can try to show your bride-to-be that you will always have her back, for better or for worse! Need a little help in making some of them happen? Why not work together with your fellow bridesmaids and take this chance to get to know each other before the festivities? A little help goes a long way, especially when it’s coming from the girls!

Whether she needs a shoulder to cry on or a realistic voice of reason, give her some time and allow her to communicate everything she is feeling. It’s probably going to be a mix of frustration, excitement, disappointment, optimistic ideas, and way too many other emotions to mention. It’s understandable if you feel difficulty keeping up with her, so remember that it is not your job to solve it all, but rather, to simply empathize. You can ask her what exactly she needs and remind her how lucky she is to be planning a wedding to the man of her dreams.

Depending on the bride-to-be’s drink of choice, there are tons of bars and businesses to choose from that offer straight delivery to your homes. Planning ahead and enjoying the same drink although miles apart will hopefully help round up the gang and forget about the physical distance. Take this time to catch up on what everyone’s been up to and exchange tips to take care of your physical and mental health. Whether you choose to go for a bottle of red wine or D.I.Y. cocktail kits, the video call will surely be filled with endless laughs and the latest tea!

By now, soon-to-wed couples are either experts at responding to queries about their wedding or mutually ignoring unsolicited inquires. Check first with the couple if they are ready is to release new details and to whom, and take it from there. At a minimum, you can appease curious guests by getting the message out that the couple is closely monitoring the situation and will inform all guests once they have a made any decisions. Although it’s near impossible to block all inquires, lightening the load will make a difference.

Yoga may not be the most intensive workout, but there are undeniable stress-relieving benefits from its practice and meditation. A beginner’s flow is suitable to relax the mind, while a more dynamic flow would work better to stimulate an experienced yogi. She can do this activity on her own or if everyone is up for it, why not join the class and break a sweat as group? If yoga is not her workout of choice, there are numerous fitness studios that offer similar day-pass classes. You can try searching for class passes for Zumba, Pilates, Full-Body Training Workouts, Dance, etc.

You don’t have to wait for Valentine’s Day to pull this card out of your sleeve! Fresh blooms have a unique way of making the recipient feel good, and we all know that sweet treats are the popular go-to for a quick pick-me-up. If the bride-to-be is on a strict diet because of the nearing wedding date, support her by opting for gluten-free, sugar-free treats or other thoughtful items like bottled cold brew coffee or a basket of organic produce she can prepare herself. Don’t forget to include a note filled with heartfelt words of affirmation!

Online shopping and nationwide delivery have made it possible to move these festivities to a virtual platform. Planning a bridal shower or bachelorette party is still quite similar to the way we used to do it. Set a time and date, invite the bride’s best girls, add-to-cart a little something for the bride, and get dolled up for the virtual event. Apart from hosting them online, another physically-distant option for wedding festivities is to plan a drive-by! If the bride’s or groom’s home allows for cars to pass by safely without causing any traffic, guests can wave, say words of love and support, or maybe even drop off gifts, all while in the confines of their own vehicles.

Checking with the fiancé is a nonchalant way of figuring out what’s going on with the wedding planning and what her daily schedule looks like. There might be an accessory she’s having trouble finding or a vendor she can’t get a hold of. Working your magic and getting even just a single item off her checklist will do her (and the Fiancé) wonders. You can also partner with the fiancé and ask him to “schedule a meeting with one of the wedding suppliers” to turn the virtual bridal shower or bachelorette party into a memorable surprise for her!