So you said yes and probably started to think about how your dream wedding may look like and who would you like to have by your side during this special time and on your big day. You want to have your besties with you for your best day ever and you don't want to leave anyone out. You can't always keep everyone happy, but you can dive in and do your best with grace, sensitivity, and a dash of champagne if needed.

Here is what you need to consider when you are deciding on your bridal party:

The Numbers

First, think about how many guests will be at your wedding in total. If you are having an intimate ceremony with 20 guests, it will be strange if you have five bridesmaids and a maid of honor on your side and your love has his six best guy friends next to him. The bridal party would outnumber the seated guests, and it might be little weird. But at the end of the day, it is your wedding. You should absolutely have there everyone you really want.

Next, ask yourself if you want equal numbers on both sides. It is tradition to have the bride and groom's side of the bridal party in pairs, but these days, it's not considered essential.

Your budget is also very important factor if you are deciding on size of your bridal party. If you intend to pay for bridal party costs, including outfits, jewelry, hair and make-up, you need to consider your budget. Those costs can add up and you might also have to cover other costs such as accommodation, transportation and of course some lovely gifts for your girls.

The Experience

You need to consider what you want your wedding planning and getting ready experience to be like. Girls are going to plan for you “Bachelorette party” and they will be helping you to plan your big day. They are also going to be with you while you are getting ready at the day of the wedding. A small bridal party can mean more soulful and sentimental moments, while a big lineup of gorgeous gals can mean the party vibes are on from morning to midnight.

The Expectations

Some friends and family might expect to be included, so you might take that into consideration. On the other hand, it's not spoken about much, but some girls would rather be a guest than a bridesmaid. The girl who has been bridesmaid 14 times and has a wardrobe full of blue and purple bridesmaid gowns might be relieved not to be asked. If you suspect it's the case, you should have an honest conversation that starts something like this: "I would love for you to be a part of my bridal party, but since you've been bridesmaid five times already this year, I don’t want to put pressure on you. You are my good friend and I would love for you to be on my bridal party, but I wanted to check how you feel about this at first. If you prefer to just come to wedding as my good friend and have a good time, I totally understand.” These are likely your closest friends, so having open talk is usually easier than we think.

How To Ask

Once you have the list of girls who you want to call your bridesmaids and maid of honor, you may start looking for some proposal ideas. You can get as creative as you wish – options are endless! Pinterest has a lot of great ideas how you can DIY your bridesmaid proposal gift or you can leave the work on professionals and choose one of personalized bridesmaid proposal boxes filled with pretty bridesmaid gifts. We offer selection of bridesmaid boxes for different wedding seasons, but you can also find a lot of other fun gifts on Etsy. For proposal itself - you can either meet your girls for brunch or dinner and surprise them with proposal gift or if they live far away, you can also have proposal box mailed directly to your girls.

I hope this helped you to consider some points you didn’t thought of. Now it’s time for you to set your budget, make list of your favourite people, plan a fun way to ask them to be a part of your day, pop the champagne and have fun enjoying this special time !

Talk soon,

Michaela

Photographer of our bridal party photo : Emma Culling Photography https://www.emmacullingphoto.com/

Don't miss a thing on the 'gram