Greatly commercially and critically successful on release, it made $26 million on its opening weekend, was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay by Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo and Best Supporting Actress for Melissa McCarthy, as well as serving as a touchstone in discussions about women in comedy.

Critical reviews for the film were generally positive with Roger Ebert giving it 3.5 out of 4 stars and saying that Bridesmaids “definitely proves that women are the equal of men in vulgarity, sexual frankness, lust, vulnerability, overdrinking and insecurity (and that)... Love him or not, Judd Apatow is consistently involved with movies that connect with audiences.”

Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly pointed out the significance of Bridesmaids' success as follows: "So far, the message that Hollywood seems to have taken from the incredible success of Bridesmaids is a predictably reductive one, something along the lines of: Hey, look! Raunchy comedies for women with awesome gross-out scenes in the middle of them can be big box office too!! The message that Hollywood should be taking is: A comedy that's raunchy and fearless, and also brilliantly written and shrewdly honest about what's really going on in women's lives, may actually connect with the fabled non-teenage audience (remember them?).”

It was labeled by many critics like Mary Elizabeth Williams of Salon as "a breakthrough for female comedy, and feminist to boot” while it proved “the impossible: leading an all-female cast to blockbuster success."

Today, it stands on Rotten Tomatoes at 90% with its critical consensus titling it as “A marriage of genuine characters, gross out gags, and pathos, Bridesmaids is a female-driven comedy that refuses to be boxed in as Kristen Wiig emerges as a real star."