"I Take Going Undercover Very Seriously": This Woman Has Been A 'Fake Bridesmaid' In More Than 100 Weddings

We recently asked the BuzzFeed Community what questions they had for Jen Glantz, the founder of Bridesmaid for Hire, a bridesmaid-for-hire service where brides-to-be can hire professional bridesmaid(s) to help them prepare for their big day and stand in their wedding.

Here are some questions for Jen — and her answers:

1."Probably the question everyone asks, but why is there even a market for this?"

—Hanlee

Jen: There are so many reasons people hire us, but there are two common emails we get. First, not everyone has a close friend or a group of pals to support them during their wedding adventure. Second, not everyone has a friend group that’s...reliable. While you may want to have specific friends and family as part of your “big day,” they may not be able to fly across the country to help you shop for a dress, know where to start when it comes to planning your bridal shower, or have the evenings open to chat on the phone about what’s on your to-do list that week and the wedding challenges and roadblocks you’re knocking into.

By hiring a professional bridesmaid, you can still honor your friends and family by having them be your bridesmaids, but without the burden of the “dirty work.” We do all the heavy lifting, the tough tasks, and the draining ones, too, so you can have a stress-free experience with the people you love.

At your wedding, we're your behind-the-scenes warriors making sure those things don’t go wrong! We've caught a wedding cake, mid-air, that was heading for the ground, cleaned stubborn red wine stains off wedding dresses, and even broken up fights between hot-headed guests before security had to be called.

2."What does a typical wedding experience look like for you, from the time the bride asks you to be her bridesmaid up until the day of the wedding?"

3."How do the brides that hire you convince their partner/family/friends that you actually know them? Why does no one question a bridesmaid they've never met or heard of before?"

—l45a881d97

Jen: We come up with a foolproof backstory of how I know them before the wedding begins. The story has no holes in it. I study and research who I'm supposed to be, and that's who I am when I show up.

4.Do you arrange/attend all the hen/bachelorette events?

—l45a881d97

Jen: Sometimes I plan the bachelorette party, and sometimes I attend.

5."Has anyone ever found out you were a fake bridesmaid?"

—bella

Jen: After working over 100 weddings in the past 7 years, I'm proud to say that has not happened, and that's because I take going undercover seriously for my job.

6."Is this your side hustle? Or do you make enough money to pay all your bills by being a bridesmaid for hire?"

7."Do you stay in contact with the bride after the wedding, or does she pretend you two stopped being friends?"

8."Have you ever been in a wedding where you felt like the bride and groom should NOT be getting married, and how do you handle those situations?"

—violetbaudelairegt

Jen: One thing I learned on the job was that it's impossible to judge anyone's relationship from the outside. Couples I thought would last forever had their marriage fizzle after a year. Couples I thought weren't a good match are still married many years later. My job isn't to judge; it's to be the support system.

9."Does the bride provide you with everything you need, or do you need to purchase things as well — such as clothing?"

10."Were there any times you wanted to quit mid-wedding because of a bridezilla?"

—Anonymous, 15, CO

Jen: Of course! There have been many brides who have screamed at me, bossed me around, made me cry, and some made me want to quit. But I always remember that at midnight the gig ends, and I never have to see them again.

11."How did you get started in this career?"

—JustMeNow

Jen: I was a bridesmaid for every friend I ever had in my early 20s. When distant friends started asking me to take on the role, my roommate at the time nicknamed me “The Professional Bridesmaid.” That’s when I took the idea to Craigslist and posted an ad offering my services as a hired bridesmaid for strangers. I received over 300 responses, built a website, and booked my first client (Ashley from Maple Grove, Minnesota) all in 48 hours.

12.Are you able to give input into things like dresses with your honest feelings — such as a dress you feel is really unflattering for you? Would you just go ahead and say you love it because that's the job, or would you stipulate in advance requirements for things like the outfit?

13."What are some 'covers' that you've come up with to explain your relationship to the bride?"

—Anonymous, 45, IL

Jen: I've played many different roles for clients including being a friend from grad school, yoga class, high school, work, or even just a friend they met at happy hour or a networking event.

14."How much do you get paid?"

—rachel129

Jen: When I first started the business, I had no idea what to charge. Ultimately, over the years, I've created a pricing structure that represents the value of the service, my professional and expert background, and the amount of time that goes into working with each client (which is way more than it might seem). Our prices start at $2,000 and go up from there.

15."What are your rules?"

—avbabsy

Jen: My biggest rule is no drinking on the job, which is fine because I don't drink anyway! I do that because this job is serious, hard, and requires focus.

16."Have there been any times when you had to decline a job?"

—loweithia

Jen: People email me all the time asking me strange things, like am I a "bride" they can hire? Or can I send them a bridesmaid that looks a certain way (i.e., 5'7", brown hair, etc.)? I turn down requests like that. This is not a modeling agency.

17."What was your best experience and worst experience?"

—loweithia

Jen: My worst experience was working with a bride who got cold feet five minutes before the wedding. In those situations, It's on me to figure out what to do. I told her I'd call us a taxi and we could ditch the wedding, but first she had to talk to the groom and let him know. My best experience was working a wedding in Las Vegas. Such a fun venue, and I got to gamble a little after the wedding ended!

18."Have you ever become friends or dated someone from a wedding you worked at?"

—Anonymous, 26, GA

Jen: For more than half of my career, I was single at these weddings, but I never met someone to date. I was always too busy and focused on work. I met my husband on a dating app.

19."I'm sure it's not easy, but what suggestions would you have for others who would be interested in becoming a hired bridesmaid themselves?"

20."How does the immediate family and the groom not know that you've been hired? Wouldn't they know all of the bride's friends already?"

—Anonymous, 32, Washington

Jen: One big misconception is that your partner knows everyone in your life. Many people have friends from all different stages of their lives and sometimes their partner hasn't heard of them before.

21."What qualities make a good bridesmaid for hire?"

22."Are you worried that growing your social accounts might mess with the anonymity of the 'fake backstory fake name' thing? As in, do you think people might start recognizing you as 'the bridesmaid for hire'?"

—Anonymous, 26, Netherlands

Jen: I don't worry about social media blowing my cover because there are many top secret ways I go undercover at weddings. Social media helps new clients find me and is actually good for my business.