Bridal Party Selection

With the end of the holiday season approaching and the start of wedding planning season underway, many brides-to-be are now pondering their bridal party selections. Choosing the members of your bridal party isn’t always an easy task, so here are a few pointers to get you started:

1. First, it’s important to determine how many guests you will invite to your wedding. Like, many wedding professionals, I recommend having one groomsmen and one bridesmaid for every 50 guests invited.

2. Don’t ever feel obligated to ask friends/family members who included you in their wedding if you aren’t close with them anymore. For example, if you were a bridesmaid in your sorority sister’s wedding, yet you haven’t spoken in several years, it doesn’t mean that you have to ask her to be in yours. Choose close friends and family members who you still enjoy a close bond with today…after all, the more bridesmaids you choose, the more chances for disagreements on the dresses they will wear, shower dates, and the more bouquets you will have to purchase for them.

3. Think about location when selecting your bridal party members. If you live in PA and your best friend lives in CA it’s important to consider her schedule and flexibility. Think about what you expect from your bridal party…will her simple moral support suffice or do you expect her to be present at every bridal gown fitting, vendor appointment, and cake tasting session? If the answer is yes, you may still want to ask her in good taste (after all she is your BFF from high school); however, it is a good idea to have another friend in mind that lives closer if she declines.

4. If you are close to your siblings, then they are most likely obvious choices for your bridal party. However, if your sister isn’t necessarily your best friend, the thought of including her in your wedding might not be the ideal. Unless there is a serious conflict between you and your sibling, it is still usually worth including them in your wedding to avoid unnecessary family disagreements.

5. Lastly, keep in mind that there are other roles important on your wedding day other than being a maid-of-honor or bridesmaid. Consider including a close friend or family member to sing or do a reading during your ceremony. There are a number of different possibilities…ushers, greeters, guest book guardians, and candle lighters are all essential to making your day memorable!

Image from The Knot.