Choosing your Bridal Party

So I'm so very sorry I have been MIA lately. I've been so busy with the Christmas party we had this weekend, looking for jobs, and taking care of the house, everything else has really fallen behind. So I have taken a moment to post a new topic.

One of the biggest parts of the wedding is the Bridal Party. That is your bridesmaids and groomsmen. How do you know who to choose and how many to pick?

In all honesty, it is totally up to you. First thing to think of is how many girls/guys can you afford to have. You may want 15 bridesmaids and 15 groomsmen because you have that many close to you, but can you afford that many? Meaning, the more people you have, the more money you have to spend. How is that? Well you have bouquets and boutonnieres for each and then you have gifts for each that can range from $10-50+ each. Also, does it make sense to have a 30 person bridal party? If you are having a small wedding (under 100 people) then no it does not make sense to have a 30 person bridal party.

You should choose people who are close to you, family and friends. If you are very close to your family, in my opinion, you should choose family before you choose friends. If you figure out you can afford and makes sense to have 4 people each and you have 6 people you want to choose, there are other roles that those people can play. They can read a passage at the ceremony, they can man the guest book, hand out programs, or be honorary bridesmaids/groomsmen listed in the program.

Remember, friends can come and go, but family is always going to be there. Does that mean you should ask the sister you haven't talked to in 10 years to be a bridesmaid, No. But if it comes down to a friend you have had for 2 years and a sister you have always been close to, you should take the sister (in my opinion, but again it is up to you).

Always think hard about who you want to pick. Don't pick someone on a whim. People get their feelings hurt very easily when it comes to being in your wedding. Don't pick someone because you think its a good idea and then change your mind. For example, a girl posted on a forum about her BIL asking her husband to be his Best Man. Great right? Well a week later, the BIL decides he wants a girl he has knows for 6 months to be his Best Woman, meaning he was asking the husband to step down. The husband was devastated. You should really think before just asking someone.

In my opinion, you should not name your bridal party until about 7-8 months before the wedding. You should create a list of who you think you want and why you would want that person. Think about it, and then review the list again a few weeks later. Do you still want that person? If so, ask them.