You can also check out this inspiration board designed by Mackenna at the Shore Bride Website.

Here is this months article I wrote for the Shore Bride website. You can check out the article here.

One very important decision the bride and groom need to make is whom to choose to stand up at the wedding. For some, choosing the bridal party is easy by including brothers, sisters and closest friends. For others, this decision can be very hard because of large families and a lot of close friends. As the bride and groom, there are some options for choosing your bridal party.

Being a part of the bridal party is an honor, but also an important responsibility. When choosing your bridal party you want to make sure that they are dependable and will be able to perform their bridal party obligations. The maid/matron of honor and the best man are both people that will help with pre-wedding events (not to mention all the duties they carry out at the wedding). It’s the little details throughout the day that make this duty so important. For the maid/matron of honor, it’s keeping your dress perfect; for the best man it’s holding the rings, among other duties. Keep this in mind when making your choices.

Now most people like to follow traditions exactly the way they’ve been practiced for generations. But you don’t have to if you don’t want to! For instance, there isn’t an official required number of attendants. You can have twelve, or you can have zero; it’s your choice. Take into consideration the size and location of the ceremony. If the wedding will be a small, intimate event, then the bridal party should be small. If you’re having a large celebration, then a large bridal party will go along with the wedding.

Having an even amount of attendants on both sides will balance out the party, but this also isn’t a requirement. Don’t skip inviting a family member or friend because it would make the sides uneven. Two bridesmaids can always walk with one groomsman or even walk alone. This can also ease some stress on worrying about hurt feelings—you don’t have to even out the numbers and choose someone you don’t want, out of guilt.

If you have a close friend or family member of the opposite sex, you can still include them in your own lineup. Today you can even have an honor attendant, which is where the bride can include a bridesman and/or the groom’s side can include a groomswoman. An honor attendant will perform the same duties as their represented position, but altered where appropriate.

There is nothing that says you can’t have two maid/matrons of honor or best man/woman. There may be two very important individuals that you want to have that position but can’t choose between them. Well you don’t have to; you can have two! These attendants can share the duties. One may live too far away and be the person you call when you just need someone to talk to; the other may live close by and is the one that helps with all the pre-wedding planning in person.

Sometimes there are religious restrictions on whom you can have as the official witnesses. It may be required that they are a member of your faith. They may even have to participate in pre-wedding classes. Be sure to talk to your officiant before you select your bridal party if that may be the case.

It is then time to ask the bridal party to have this special honor of being your attendant. Be understanding if there are individuals who say no; they may not have the finances to stand up in your wedding. But if you really want them to be a part of the celebration, you can always find another way. They could be the guest book attendant, read a poem, etc. Whatever your choices, remember that THIS IS YOUR WEDDING. You can plan it any way you want to; you can stick to tradition or you can be creative. Make yourself happy first—otherwise the hurt feelings you worry about may be your own.