How to Choose Your Bridesmaids

Picking the right bridesmaids can be difficult. There are likely many friends on your list that you want to include on your big day but it doesn’t mean that you have the budget for it. You also need to think politically and it can often be harder choosing bridesmaids that it can picking the bridesmaid dresses.

Choosing Who You Want

Something to remember is that this is your day. The people you pick to be bridesmaids should be there because you want them to be. There will be people upset by not being chosen but you shouldn’t let that influence you in choosing bridesmaids that you do not really want. Choose the women that you care about for your day, such as your sister, a best friend and maybe even your sister-in-law to be.

Choosing the Number

Traditionally, you should choose the same amount of bridesmaids as there are groomsmen. This makes the numbers add up when walking back up the aisle at the end of the wedding. However, something that has become a modern option is to have two bridesmaids per groomsman or vice versa. Find out who your partner wants to have in his wedding party. This will help to work out the minimum numbers required as he may have a set of friends that have to be there.

Think About Your Friends

Not all of your friends will want to be a bridesmaid. Remember that not everyone wants to be in the limelight. This is something that you will need to talk to your friends about to find out if there are any that would prefer not to be in the bridal party.

Things happen on the day, so consider having a couple of reserves for the wedding. You never know what can happen. As an idea, the week before my wedding, I had a bridesmaid who had to drop out due to having surgery. Coincidently, my husband had a groomsman that couldn’t make it until later on in the day so the numbers actually worked out in the end.

Preventing Hurt Feelings

Some friends may be hurt that you didn’t ask them to be a bridesmaid on your big day. You don’t have to give them a reason but this may help to avoid any hurt feelings. You may find that you cannot afford to add another person or that you simply lost contact or that they weren’t sure about whether they could make it on the day.

Do You Have to Ask Family?

You may wonder about whether you have to ask your sister or future sisters-in-law to be bridesmaids. What about cousins? This can be tricky but remember that this is your big day. Most people will ask their sister to be a bridesmaid and this may be something that you instantly think about having. If you don’t have a sister, you may have a female cousin who is like a sister for you.

When it comes to sisters-in-law, you don’t need to but there may be some upset feelings if you don’t. It is likely that your husband to be wants his sister involved in some way and this is the most logical option. There are benefits to having the future sisters-in-law there; they will be more willing to help on the day or if any marital problems occur at a later date.

Choosing bridesmaids is all about who you want there and who you have the budget for. You will not be able to choose all your friends so pick the family members who you are close to and the friends who are special.