Half of the fun in celebrating your new marriage is the opportunity to celebrate alongside your dearest friends and family members as a part of your bridal party. We have certainly seen a wide range of combinations when it comes to selecting attendants to participate in the wedding festivities and know that selecting those individuals is a large part of what makes each wedding day personalized and unique to the couple!

When deciding who a couple would like to stand beside them on their wedding day, we are often asked the following questions:

• Can we have an unequal number of bridesmaids and groomsmen? Yes! It is not necessary for the bride’s and the groom’s sides to be equal in number. For example, 4 bridesmaids + 3 groomsmen OR 8 bridesmaids + 10 groomsmen really will not make a difference in the grand scheme of things. However, having 2 bridesmaids + 8 groomsmen might feel a little too lopsided, pulling the focus off of the couple. 
• As the bride, I would like for my brother to stand with me and be a part of my bridal party. Is that okay? And do I refer to him as a “bridesman”? It is acceptable for brides and grooms to have attendants of the opposite sex. Recognized as an “honor attendant”, this is a great way to include siblings or dear friends you wish to include in your bridal party. 
• I have both a sister and a childhood best friend that I feel should be my Maid of Honor. How do I choose? Torn between two people that will serve as your “Maid/Matron of honor” or “Best Man”? Consider having both! They can share responsibilities and be double the support you might need on this very special day. 

Aside from quantities and the logistics of who is escorting whom, there are some qualities one should be mindful of when selecting members of the bridal party.  There are the obvious qualifications like those that have a long history of friendship or are your siblings. In addition to that, one should consider attendants that are:

Responsible : With many showers, parties and prep that take place prior to the wedding weekend, you will want attendants that are reliable and will participate in celebrating with you. Your attendants are there to support you during this time and one of the best ways to support a bride and groom is to be a stress-relief…not a source of stress! Attendants should be willing to take on minor tasks without need for a reminder. Attendants should be punctual in attending events and arriving on the wedding day and they should be timely in turning in measurements and ordering attire. 

Considerate : Often times attendants act as a sound board for the couple when discussing ideas for wedding decor, timing of events, traditions, etc. A considerate attendant will offer sound suggestions but is also respectful of the fact that this is the bride and groom’s celebration and not their own. Considerate attendants desire to be helpful without overstepping any boundaries and they are aware that boundary line.

Fun! : Your attendants should be fun to be around and should share in the joy of the couple! This is a time to celebrate and no one wants to surround themselves with a “Negative Nancy”. We vote for attendants that are easy going, supportive of the couple and drama-free!

Now… How to Ask Your Bridesmaids/Groomsmen?!

There are so many fun ideas but we are loving the personalized gift-box trend that many brides are using! One of our Madison Sanders Events brides, Nikki Ferrell, asked her ladies with these beautiful boxes. Her boxes featured a scented candle, a beautiful champagne flute (that the ladies will use for mimosas the morning of the wedding!), some bubbly and a personalized detail…a golden letter representing the bridesmaid’s first name!

Images by Alea Lovely