Choosing Your Bridal Party

As you begin planning your wedding, it’s time to think about your bridal party! Who will you have at your side while you plan your big day and say “I do”? Choosing friends to be part of your bridal party can seem like a daunting task and a difficult decision to make. We’ve compiled some of our best advice for choosing your bridal party:

Our Bridal Party Advice

A couple has to weigh many factors when choosing their friends that will make up their bridal party—the size of the wedding, responsibilities for the bridal party, whether to include certain family members or friends, and the list goes on. Keep in mind:  It’s your wedding day and you need to do what feels best for your unique circumstances. Include the friends or family members that you feel closest to and that have already shown their support to both of you as a couple. Select bridesmaids and groomsmen that have supported your relationship, not necessarily the people you always imagined standing in your wedding. It’s okay to not include people you’re no longer as close to. Talk to your partner as you decide who you will include and get their advice and input!

Having a Non-Traditional Bridal Party

There is no rule that says you have to stick to having a ‘traditional’ bridal party! It’s 2021 and abandoning some wedding traditions seems to be the new tradition! We are seeing couples opt to have unique bridal parties. Whatever you decide, it’s your wedding day and it is important to make sure your personality is reflected in the choices you make for your wedding.

Here are some ideas for having a non-traditional bridal party:

1. Have multiple honorary roles.

You could have 2 maids of honor or best ‘men’ if you want to!

2. No one said you have to match.

Bridesmaids wearing mismatched dresses and groomsmen wearing different colors or accessories can create a unique look at your wedding!

3. Choose people who mean the most to you.

Choose who you want, even if that means having an odd number on each side or the bride having her guy friends or brothers stand for her and the groom having females on his side.

4. Let your bridal party get off their feet.

Let your bridal party have a break and take a seat during the ceremony until it’s time for vows!

5. Include little ones.

If there are little ones in your life that are important to you, include them in the bridal party even if they don’t fill the typical flower girl and ring bearer roles!

What is Each Member of the Bridal Party Responsible For?

Being a member of the bridal party comes with responsibilities, even before the wedding day! What is each member of the bridal party responsible for? Remember to communicate your expectations to your bridal party, but typically the responsibilities for each member are:

Bridesmaids

Bridesmaids’ responsibilities include helping to plan pre-wedding parties, like showers, engagement parties, or a bachelorette party. Before the wedding, bridesmaids should also be available to help with wedding planning and support the bride through any stress or emotions. On the wedding day, it’s important for bridesmaids to help the entire bridal party stay on-schedule and enjoy the day as much as possible! Bridesmaids should help fix the bride’s dress, veil, hair, and makeup and encourage dancing during the reception.

Maid of Honor

The maid of honor has a special role to play! The maid of honor’s responsibilities include taking charge when it comes to planning the bachelorette party, keeping in communication with the bridal party, and advocating for the couple’s wishes. Likely, the maid of honor will carry one of the wedding bands down the aisle and sign the marriage license as a legal witness. You might ask your maid of honor to give a speech at your reception. Lastly, the maid of honor should support the bride as much as possible leading up to and on the wedding day!

Groomsmen

Groomsmen also have an exciting job leading up to the wedding. They can assist with wedding planning and should make sure to have their suit fits well far in advance. Groomsmen are expected to attend the pre-wedding parties and help plan and pay for the bachelor party. On the wedding day, it’s important that groomsmen arrive on-time and cooperate while photos are being taken. They can keep the bride and groom fed and hydrated, help guests to their seat, stay on the dancefloor as much as possible, and help clean up at the end of the night.

Best Man

Like the maid of honor, the best man also has a role of honor. The best man should also take the lead in planning a bachelor party and communicating with the entire bridal party to keep things organized. He will also likely carry one of the rings down the aisle and sign the marriage license as the second legal witness. The best man may be asked to give a speech and he should make sure everyone enjoys the reception as much as possible! He can provide extra support to the groom where he needs it.

Flower Girl & Ring Bearer

The flower girl and ring bearer are typically the youngest members of the bridal party. Their number one responsibility is walking down the aisle and looking cute! The flower girl might throw flower petals as she walks, as the name suggests, however the ring bearer probably won’t be entrusted with any rings (the maid of honor and best man can have that job).

Planning Your Wedding

However you decide to select your bridal party members, your wedding day will be a celebration of your incredible love story. We help to preserve your memories preserved in a special way so that you can look back and feel the feelings of the day all over again. We are a husband and wife wedding photography and videography team in the Hudson Valley. Our job is to capture images and video for the wildly in love. If you’d like us to capture the moments on your wedding day, contact us today!