So I'll start by saying I don't have any close girlfriends in the area where I live, where I've been for 9+ years. I live about 4+ hours from where I grew up. My mom and childhood best friend still live there. My mom doesn't travel and my best friend works in retail and has a super inconsistent work schedule and limited PTO so it's difficult for her to get away for a weekend. My other close girl friends are from a previous job or grad school and live far away as well.
In the 9+ years I've been here the only time my mom visited was when I finished grad school 7 years ago. My mom has never met my FH's family, never seen the house I bought and have lived in for the past 5 years, etc. She doesn't have a cell phone either, so I had to send her photos of my e-ring and wedding dress via email, which she only checks once a week at her boss's office.
I talk with my best friend (who is my MOH and the only bridesmaid in my wedding) every week and have sent her many texts and photos of dresses and such, but she hasn't been able to participate in any wedding/bridal stuff with me in person.
I ended up going wedding dress shopping with the wife of one of my FH's groomsmen, and am mostly doing stuff entirely on my own or with my FH's help (he's super involved and helping with all of the stuff that isn't exclusively bridal or secret, like my dress) or by texting my best friend for advice. For the most part, it's fine, but my FH and I traveled to where I grew up for Thanksgiving and my mom was too busy prepping food to go shopping with me and I didn't even see my best friend because she was so wrapped up with the holiday and work. I really wanted to just visit a couple bridal stores with them to look at bridesmaids dresses and MOB dresses, but my FH was the only one who went with me. All I was able to do was text my best friend some colors, so she at least has a reference to choose her dress by.
My childhood hometown and mom's house are both super stressful, so my I usually only travel there a couple times a year, and those are the only times I see my mom or best friend, and even then I don't get to spend much quality time with them because they are working or otherwise busy. My wedding is 6 months away, and I'm beginning to feel a bit bummed that I don't have anyone to share the excitement of being a bride with. I'm SO excited to marry my FH and wedding planning stuff with him has been wonderful, but I'm trying to figure out my dress, makeup/hair, and accessories (veil or no veil, bridal hair piece, shoes, etc) completely alone and it kind of sucks. In fact, the part I like the least about wedding planning is all the bridal stuff because they are things I should be excited about but I feel like I can't share them with anyone.
I know my mom and bestie both love me dearly and are super excited for me. I've tried to involve them remotely as much as I can, and I was prepared for the fact that we likely wouldn't go wedding dress shopping together and they wouldn't be visiting florists and hair salons with me and all that. I think what I feel let down about is that they cannot be more hands on with even the parts of the wedding that are about them. Even my FH's groomsmen are going to do a city trip with him to get fitted for suits together.