How to Select a Wedding Party

Choosing a wedding party can be the most difficult part of your engagement bliss, so keep it simple, and don't feel beholden to old friends or quasi-relatives.

Things You'll Need

  • Men's Dress Shoes
  • Tuxedos
  • Wedding Gowns
  • Women's Dress Shoes
  • Address Books
  • Wedding Planner Book
  • Flowers
  • Champagne
  • Sparkling Cider
  • Champagne Glasses
  • Champagne Buckets
  • Bridal Magazines
  • Wedding Programs
  • Bridal magazines
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Give yourself time to select the wedding party, and discuss plans only with your intended.

    • 2

      Consider the type of wedding to determine the number of attendants. Traditionally, you'll have 8 to 12 attendants each for an ultraformal wedding; 4 to 8 each for a formal wedding; 2 to 6 each for a semiformal wedding; and 1 to 2 each for an informal wedding.

    • 3

      Include people through their spouses. If you are really close to a couple, by asking one of them to be a member of the wedding party, you automatically include the spouse for events such as the rehearsal dinner.

    • 4

      Ask young people 10 to 16 to be junior bridesmaids or junior groomsmen.

    • 5

      Choose flower girls and a ring bearer who are 3 to 6 years old.

    • 6

      Choose a train bearer who is 4 to 8 years old.

    • 7

      Ask a few people you want to include to mind the guest book, read a poem during the ceremony, pass out programs or do some other task associated with the wedding.

Tips & Warnings

  • Select friends and family who are special to you. Don't worry too much about size or age issues.

  • Try not to be offended if someone turns down the offer to be in the wedding party - finances and/or time constraints are legitimate concerns.

  • If a member of the wedding is unable to come at the last minute, it is best to leave the sides uneven unless you have someone who can conveniently stand in.

  • Another way to calculate how many attendants you need is to figure one usher per 50 guests.

Related Searches:

Comments

  • fruitloop Oct 12, 2009
    Asking someone SIXTEEN to be a "junior" anything is insulting. First of all, "junior" is pointless, since the younger attendants are doing exactly the same thing the older ones are doing: walking down the aisle holding flowers and smiling. Kids don't like to be reminded that they ARE kids, and calling a teen "junior" is a slap in the face. I'd have declined to be in a wedding party if someone called me a "junior" when I was sixteen- almost an adult! Yeesh.
  • mypp Aug 01, 2009
    all this sounds so exciting!
  • Mar 23, 2006
    A bride can have male attendants; a groom can have female attendants; and the number of each need not be equal. Also, not all of your ushers need be groomsmen. Choose the people most important to you as a couple.
  • Mar 23, 2006
    A bride can have male attendants; a groom can have female attendants; and the number of each need not be equal. Also, not all of your ushers need be groomsmen. Choose the people most important to you as a couple.

You May Also Like

Related Ads

Featured