The End of Bridal Parties?
We are seeing the trend more and more to not have a wedding party. Some may have a Best man or Maid of Honor, but no one else in their bridal party. Some just want themselves and their fiancé, no one else. Either way, the whole concept of the “Bridal Party” seems to be changing. Recently, we have either spoken to or worked with brides that this seems to be their plan. When we ask them why, most of their answers consist of “no drama.” It got us thinking.
When you first get engaged, part of the experience is figuring out who to tell first. Brielle, our lead planner, said when she got engaged the first person she called was her best friend who she chose to be her Maid of Honor. She’s always thought of her as being by her side as she planned her wedding, sending her pinterest photo examples etc. She thought of the dresses and colors she’d want her bridesmaids to wear. She thought of what suits she envisioned the groomsmen to wear. She pictured her shower and what they would do for a bachelorette party. Nashville? AC? An Island? For her, it was all very exciting. However, when she thinks back on it all now, of those girls that she chose, that maybe not all were not so excited to share in my experience with her…..
Sure, all past brides who had wedding parties definitely could share a story or two about their bridesmaids. They can usually tell you, without hesitation, who was the most supportive to the least supportive. Sometimes, it may not even be who you THINK will be the most supportive that ends up being the best bridesmaid. Sometimes your Maid of Honor is the one to falter. From the prices of the dresses you choose, the style and color not being their favorite or the price of your hair and makeup team - bridesmaids can get BOSSY. And not only bossy, but they can be just downright unreasonable! This is YOUR wedding. YOU and only YOU should make the decision of all aspects of it. However, perhaps the goal we set for ourselves shouldn’t be that we just simply accept that this is the way it is...perhaps brides today are simply just not having it. And by not having it- I mean, quite literally, not having a bridal party at all!
Some brides can be SUPER lavish and want the world. And let's face it, some of the people you pick may not have the time or the budget to be included in it. We all know that ONE bride who was taken to Greece for their bachelorette party, who had the VERY expensive bridesmaid dresses, complete with the bridal shower at the most lavish and expensive place in the state. In my opinion, if you are a bride who thinks that they want this, then my advice would 100% be to think about who will actually be able to go on that trip, and will the people you choose end up resenting you for making that trip seem as the only one that will be acceptable to you? If this is the case, then perhaps a large bridal party is not for you. But if you’re cool with a low key paint and sip bachelorette party, then you might be golden with the five girls you picked to be in your bridal party!
So what’s the happy medium? In our opinion, you need to dig DEEP. Think about those friends of yours that are the closest to you. HELPFUL TIP: this may or may not include your sibling, that you feel more obligated to include in your wedding party than actually wanting them to be a part of it. Think about those few (OR ONE) that really mean the most to you and that you know will show you the most unconditional of love. Because that’s truly what the process of wedding planning and your wedding day should be - a drama free, stress free zone. And sometimes, bridal parties where you have 10+ bridesmaids may not the best way in which to guarantee that your planning process or wedding will be just that. It’s the case of quality over quantity people.
What are some of your thoughts on this topic? How many did you have in your bridal party? Are you choosing to not have anyone in yours or just one or two of your closest friends? I’d love to hear from you all to see what your take on this is!
