Avoid the open bar and NEVER forget your fanny pack: How to be the world's best bridesmaid - from a professional who's done it 30 TIMES this year alone 

• Jen Glantz, 27, is a professional bridesmaid who gets paid to support brides on their big days
• Since launching her business a year ago, the New Yorker has served as a bridesmaid 30 times
• Here, she tells Daily Mail Online readers how to do the job well - and still walk away with friendships intact

By Carly Stern For Dailymail.com

Published: 13:24 EST, 5 August 2015 | Updated: 08:09 EST, 6 August 2015

Wedding season is well underway - and for some women, that means a summer weekend or two spent supporting best friends as they prepare to walk down the aisle.

But for Jen Glantz, 27, that means nearly every weekend is filled with fancy occasions in which she dons a nice dress, accompanies blushing brides down the aisle, and watches happy couples say I do. That's because Jen is a professional bridesmaid, offering up her services to women all over the country who need a little extra help planning their receptions, a supportive girlfriend to talk to, or another face to fill out their bridal parties.

In the past year alone, The New Yorker has served as a bridesmaid at 30 different weddings - so the seasoned pro is more than qualified to offer tips to other ladies who want to be prepared for every emergency, have a great time, and walk away from the big day with their friendships still going strong.

Busy lady: Jen Glantz (right) is a professional bridesmaid who has served in 30 weddings in the past year

Teaching us the ropes: Since going pro in 2014, she's learned a lot about how to be the best bridesmaid she can be

Jen launched her business, Bridesmaid for Hire, in 2014 after a Craigslist post advertising her services received hundreds of replies. A year later, she's learned a lot from being a perpetual bridal party participant, from how to save money to how to save the day - and she's sharing her tips with Daily Mail Online readers.

1. Get ahead of the game

'Offer to help the bride before she asks for help,' says Jen, adding that it's especially useful to come up with particular ideas: 'Instead of asking, “Is there anything I can help you with?” ask to do specific things with her!'

For example, see if your leading lady would like someone to go with her to check out invitations. Or, on the wedding day, bring her a small plate a food during the cocktail hour, since most brides forget to eat at their own affairs.

2. Present the right presents

There's a time and a place for each type of gift - and it's important to get them right. Jen warns against bringing the wrong gift for the wrong occasion, like giving the bride lingerie at a bridal shower or a blender at her bachelorette party. 

When in doubt, shopping off the registry for showers and engagement parties are your best bet. The sexy stuff, like nighties and toys, are only for the bachelorette's night out - and her sense of humor should be considered before picking out the raunchier stuff.

Real-life 27 dresses: Jen's bought her fair share of bridesmaid dresses - and notes that sometimes, you can save money by finding the bride's pick from a different retailer

Be proactive: Jen (pictured) recommends asking the bride if there are specific things that you can help her with, instead of just asking: 'What can I do?'

3. Buy your dress early

Waiting until the last minute to order your bridesmaid dress is a recipe for disaster. Some bridal shops can take months to ship the goods, and alterations can take weeks as well.

'Order your dress four months before the wedding,' warns Jen, 'or you may find yourself staring down at a sewing machine the night before the wedding, making it yourself.' 

4. Don't forget your fanny pack

'I carry around a home-made survival kit that includes a couple of helpful items that I’ve noticed are always missing at weddings,' Jen explains.

While her survival kit is an actual fanny pack - and we don't mean one of Chanel's trendy belt bags - any roomy bag will do. And, of course, it doesn't have to serve as your main accessory for the night; your kit can be hidden under the table or stored in the venue's bridal suite while you carry your lip gloss and phone in a cute clutch.

So what does Jen pack? 'Everything from extension cords to phone chargers, sewing kits to a mini hot glue gun, Band-Aids to straws - so the bride can drink water without messing up her lipstick,' she says. Some other essentials include chocolate, tissues, bobby pins, hair ties, painkillers, and hairspray.

If you don't want to make the kit yourself, the bridal party pro recommends buying one online. Pinch Provisions sells all-inclusive kits for $75 and cheaper ones for as low as $16.

Stock up on essentials: Jen always packs an emergency kit (pictured), which includes things like Band-Aids, hair ties, disposable toothbrushes, tissues, painkillers, moisturizer, hairspray, face wipes, and chocolate

Pack your bag: The 27-year old (right) also advises that bridesmaids be prepared with their own must-haves to help ease sore feet and stop sweating

5. Make the most of your clutch

Once you've prepared for every last potential emergency that may make the bride pull her hair out, it's important to remember that you may need a few of your own essentials once the party gets started.

'Pack a bag of all the items that can be there to help save your feet, your mind, and your stress sweat from pouring out when the bride desperately needs eyelash glue,' says Jen.

Socks or flip flops can be a life saver after hours spent standing at the altar, posing for pictures, and then dancing in your heels. Plus, having a tube of deodorant on-hand can ensure you feel your freshest throughout the night - even after getting down to Uptown Funk and the Cha Cha Slide.   

6. Keep calm, carry on

'One mini-disaster I once experienced as a bridesmaid was when the card box holding all the gifts disappeared from the wedding reception,' Jen recalls. 'Everyone around me started to panic when they couldn’t find it anywhere nearby.'

But panicking rarely solves problems, so Jen kept her wits about her - and managed to save the day.

'I decided to think outside the box and searched around the venue, and I ended up finding the box behind the bride’s chair at her table,' she says. 'I learned that when things get stressful at a wedding or a giant challenge happens, it’s important to be the calm one in the room. That alone will help you think logically and problem-solve a whole lot faster!'

Stay level-headed: While some people panic when things go wrong, a great bridesmaid will keep her cool - which can usually help her solve a problem quicker

Dress for success: Jen warns not to wait too long to buy a bridesmaid dress, since shipping and alterations can take time

7. Don't go crazy at the open bar

When the wine and tequila are paid for, it can be easy to lose count of how many drinks you've tossed back - but don't! This is a day that you're going to want to remember - not black out and forget. And remember your friend, the bride? She'd probably prefer her 'maids not get fall-down drunk, either.

But it's not just the day of the wedding that calls for a light pour, says Jen: 'Avoid [too much alcohol], especially the night before the wedding. Waking up hungover won’t make you feel spectacular.'

8. Figure out where you can cut costs

If being there for your friend on her big day is putting a big dent in your wallet, finding little ways to scale back on expenses can be a huge relief. 

'When the bride has picked out the bridesmaid dress she’d like you to buy, spend a couple of minutes on Google and see if you can find a store that sells it for cheaper than your hometown bridesmaid dress shop,' advises Jen. 'See if you can buy it used or even rent it for just the night.'

For travel, she recommends eschewing traditional hotels and considering Airbnb or other home rental sites to find lower rates.

You can also save on gifts by finding one to buy together with other bridesmaids. If everyone chips in for that shiny red KitchenAid electric mixer, the bride still gets her dream appliance - and you can walk away with a few more bucks in your purse.

Party hard, but don't drink hard: While no one is saying not to visit the open bar, it's important not to overdo it

Know your budget: If you know that your budget won't allow you to do all of the bridesmaid activities, Jen says that it's OK to say no to the bride

9. Know that it's OK to say 'no'

'If you find yourself draining your savings account or flying across the country for the bridal shower and bachelorette party, take a step back and stay true to your budget,' Jen says.

You can also turn down being a bridesmaid altogether, she adds: 'Actually, sometimes it’s a better idea to say no and salvage a friendship, rather than say yes and do absolutely nothing.'

If you decide to say 'thanks, but no thanks' because you won't have the time or funds to support the bride, Jen suggests finding other ways to be there for her instead.

'But, if you’re itching to say no just because you don’t “feel like” being a bridesmaid for the eleventh time, reconsider,' she warns. 'Put yourself in the bride’s peep-toe pumps and ask yourself if you’d want her to be there for you on your wedding day.'

10. Remember to be a BFF 

What being a bridesmaid all comes down to, of course, is being there for your friend during a very special time in her life.

'The secret to being a good bridesmaid is simple - more simple than you’d ever imagine,' Jen says. 'Just remember to be a good friend.'

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