JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

HTML

<script src="http://ajax.microsoft.com/ajax/jquery.validate/1.7/jquery.validate.min.js"></script>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="https:////maxcdn.bootstrapcdn.com/bootstrap/3.3.2/css/bootstrap.min.css">
<script src="https:////maxcdn.bootstrapcdn.com/bootstrap/3.3.2/js/bootstrap.min.js"></script>
<form class="form-horizontal" name="paymentInformation" id="paymentInformation" action="verifyOrder.cfm" method="post" role="form">
<div class="form-group">
  <label for="firstname" class="col-sm-2 control-label">First Name</label>  
  <div class="col-sm-4">
      <input id="firstname" name="firstname" placeholder="First Name" class="form-control input-md" type="text" autofocus>
  </div>
  <label for="lastname" class="col-sm-2 control-label">Last Name</label>  
  <div class="col-sm-4">
      <input id="lastname" name="lastname" placeholder="Last Name" class="form-control input-md" type="text">
  </div>
</div>
<input type="submit" value="PROCEED TO THE NEXT STEP &#xf054;" class="blueButton">
</form>

JavaScript

$.validator.setDefaults({
    errorElement: "span",
    errorClass: "help-block",
    highlight: function(element) {
        $(element).parent().removeClass('has-success').addClass('has-error');
    },
    unhighlight: function(element) {
        $(element).parent().removeClass('has-error').addClass('has-success');
    },
    errorPlacement: function (error, element) {
        if (element.parent('.input-group').length || element.prop('type') === 'checkbox' || element.prop('type') === 'radio') {
            error.insertAfter(element.parent());
        } else {
            error.insertAfter(element);
        }
    }
});
$("#paymentInformation").validate({
    rules: {
        'firstname': {
            required: true,
            minlength: 200
        },
		'lastname': {
            required: true,
            maxlength: 200
        }
    },
   messages: {
        'firstname': {
            required: "Enter your First Name.",
            maxlength: "Your First Name cannot exceed 200 characters"
        },
		'lastname': {
            required: "Enter your Last Name.",
            maxlength: "Your Last Name cannot exceed 200 characters"
        }
    }
});