5 Questions Every Bride Should Ask Herself Before Choosing The Bridal Party

Aug 23, 2017

We are on a roll with these Wedding Wednesday posts, y’all, but if you’re new to the blog make sure to check out some of the other major topics we’ve already covered including: What to do when you get engaged, how to kick-start your wedding planning, choosing your wedding venue, and even tackling the all important guest list! Today I figured we would change gears a bit and talk about the most important people next to you and your fiance on your wedding day: The bridal party!

Now for some brides, picking the bridal party might be a no brainer but for others, picking your bridal party is almost as anxiety inducing as choosing your wedding venue or setting a budget! That’s why I wanted to talk about 5 questions every bride should ask herself before choosing her bridal party! Answering these five questions will have you crossing “Choose bridal party” off your list in no time.

Do you and your fiance have any siblings?

Typically, siblings are going to be included in the bridal party. I am an only child but Justin has two brothers and therefore both of his brothers will be included in his groomsmen. Including his brothers was pretty much a no brainer for him. Do you HAVE to include siblings in your bridal party? You probably should. You may also have to accommodate a sister/brother of your partner in your own groomsmen or bridesmaids so make sure you’ve discussed sibling involvement before making your bridal party picks official.

Are there any kids you need to include?

You don’t have to have a flower girl or a ring bearer. Justin and I are opting out of doing either, mostly because we don’t know that many young children and the ones we do live pretty far away from where our wedding is actually going to be. We also aren’t having kids at the wedding in general. Not including children in our bridal party makes it easier for us to let everyone know that we’re not having kids at our wedding. You may want to consider having children as part of your bridal party if you have a niece or nephew that you’re close with or if one of your close friends has a child you would like to include in your wedding. The important thing to remember here is that you don’t have to do anything just because it’s a traditional part of the bridal party.

How big is your wedding going to be?

Now the size of your wedding isn’t the end all be all of your bridal party but one thing to keep in mind when you’re choosing your bridal party is to keep the size of your wedding in mind. If you’re having a small, intimate ceremony and reception, then you’ll probably want to keep the size of your bridal party small as well. If you’re like Justin and I and planning a formal military wedding, you’ll need to keep things like saber arches in mind. Once again, there’s no real rule to the size of your bridal party and you should always, always include as many, or as few people as you want on your big day!

Who can’t you imagine getting married without?

Imagining your big day is probably something you’ve been doing since even before you got engaged and this is extremely important when you’re picking your bridal party. There is probably a very short list of people you absolutely cannot imagine not being a part of your wedding and these should be the ones you include in your bridal party. I’ve heard a ton of stories from brides and grooms who no longer speak to people who were in their wedding and at the end of the day, is that what you want?

Are there any reservations you have about your picks?

Before you make the final decision on who to include in your bridal party, make sure you’ve run through the list more than once. Think about whether each person is responsible and whether or not they are going to make you less stressed leading up to your big day. Whether we like to admit it or not, some of our friends just don’t have our best interests in mind, even on our wedding days so take a night to sleep on your bridesmaid decision before you start asking.

What questions did you ask yourself before you chose your bridal party?

Are there other bridal party related posts you want to see? Let me know! Also, if you’re a regular, this Friday’s Happy Hour post is going to be replaced with something exciting so stay tuned!