Woman nicknamed after Katherine Heigl, James Marsden film

It was one of the biggest films of the early 2000s, but one woman has lived the real-life version of 27 Dresses after being a bridesmaid 14 times.

'I'm the real life 27 Dresses'. Picture: Caters News

This woman has earned the nicknamed 27 Dresses – based on the film starring Katherine Heigl and James Marsden – after being a bridesmaid 14 times so far.

Jaelle Cooper, 27, has become a “professional” bridesmaid after 14 of her friends and family asked her to be part of their bridal party.

Her busiest spell was in 2019 when she was a bridesmaid six times within eight months, and although she loves being part of these special days, she says that it takes a toll on her financially as she wracked up thousands of dollars worth of debt.

Her friends have compared her to being a real-life version of the lead character in rom-com 27 Dresses, who is always the bridesmaid, never the bride.

Jaelle, from Nashville, Tennessee, said: “The first time I was a bridesmaid I was 18 years old and it was for my brother’s wedding.

Jaelle Cooper has been a bridesmaid 14 times. Picture: Caters News

She’s been called the real life 27 Dresses. Picture: Caters News

“I loved it so much and I will never forget it as it was such a fun event to be a part of.

“Walking down the aisle with my sister-in-law, wearing a pretty dress, was magical and felt like the greatest honour, and because it was my family it felt even more special.”

Since, she has been a bridesmaid 13 times and mostly loves the role, saying it aligns with her personality as she loves encouraging and celebrating people.

But, after her huge 2019, she found the experience exhausting.

“Being a bridesmaid isn’t just about the actual wedding day. Every weekend I had something related to one of the weddings, whether it was a bridal shower, hen party, or the wedding itself,” she said.

The roles has impacted her finances. Picture: Caters News

“I was so burnt out and ended up getting myself into a lot of debt because of the pressure to attend all of the events. I would say I spent £3,000 [$5,889] on being a bridesmaid during this period.

“I was drowning in credit card debt.”

Jaelle kept all 14 dresses until she needed to pay off all the debt she had wracked up.

So, she decided it was time to sell a few of her dresses.

“I sold half of them, and the rest are hanging up in a closet at my mum’s house,” she said.

She said it was rare to be a bridesmaid as many times as she had and she’s become a bit of a “professional, with many coming to her for advice on the big day.

But, with weddings, there are always a few meltdowns.

“Although I’ve been to so many weddings, I haven’t had any bridezilla experiences. However, I have to say, I have seen a couple of bridesmaid-zillas,” she said.

She had to sell some of her dresses. Picture: Caters News

“They get caught up and try to make it about themselves, but it is all about the bride and the groom.

“My advice to other bridesmaids is to be intentional with the bride. Check-in on her and what she wants.

“As friends of the bride, I think that bridesmaids assume they know what she will want, but it can usually be something so different.

“Don’t make it about you, and celebrate the bride.”

She said if she had unlimited money, she’d be a bridesmaid to whoever asked her to be.

“Despite that, it’s been an honour to be a bridesmaid this many times. I thrive as a bridesmaid,” she said.

“Until I met my husband there was a point in time where I was concerned about always being the bridesmaid and never the bride. I was worried I’d never get married, but luckily I found my happily ever after too.”