Whether you’re planning a small and intimate celebration at Brisbane’s best wedding venue or a big budget extravaganza for your wedding reception, your bridal party can play a big part in making every moment extra memorable. To make sure those moments are memorable for all the right reasons, here are our 5 tips to help you pick your bridal party.
BRIDAL PARTY TIP #1: TAKE YOUR TIME & CHOOSE CAREFULLY
You might be able to change your mind about everything from the dress to the invitation design, but once you’ve popped the ‘Will you be my bridesmaid/groomsmen?’ question, there’s no turning back. Take your time and think carefully about how each member of the party will interact with the others – you’ll be spending a lot of time together both on the day and in the lead up. Be sure to also pick responsible people who won’t let you down or embarrass you when it comes to their assigned tasks, because no one wants to ruin a relationship over a terrible speech or forgotten appointment.
BRIDAL PARTY TIP #2: BEGIN WITH YOUR FAMILY
Your close family has been with you through all the big moments in your life, and they should be by your side when you say ‘I do’ to the person they’re now welcoming into the fold. As the people who are still going to be by your side at your 10-year anniversary, brothers, sisters and even close cousins should be the first people you ask to do be a big part of your wedding. If you come from a big family and can’t include all of your siblings, give younger family members a responsibility like seating guests or holding the rings, so they still feel like a part of the proceedings.
BRIDAL PARTY TIP #3: DELEGATE & SET EXPECTATIONS
How involved do you want the members of your bridal party to be in planning your big day? Should they block out the next six months in preparation for dress shopping and craft nights, or are you happy for them to just show up on the day? Either way, make sure every one knows what you expect of them and if they need to commit to any specific dates or tasks, otherwise you may just be setting yourself up for disappointment.
BRIDAL PARTY TIP #4: CONSIDER THE SIZE OF YOUR WEDDING VS THE SIZE OF THE BRIDAL PARTY
If you’re planning an intimate wedding for 30, a bridal party of 10 may seem a little out of place. The average wedding party size is four bridesmaids and four groomsmen, but for large weddings, you could have up to 12 people in the bridal party, while small weddings may have just 2 or 4. Just remember that the more people in your bridal party, the more people you’ll need to organise dress fittings, tux shopping and pre-wedding events with! If you want to include more people without needing to squeeze too many chairs into the bridal table, research other roles and delegate tasks to those who didn’t make the bridal party so they still feel extra special.
BRIDAL PARTY TIP #5: DON’T TRY TO RETURN THE FAVOUR
Just because you were a bridesmaid for your best friends sister 5 years ago, doesn’t mean you have to ask them to be in your bridal party to return the favour. Your wedding day is a time to be surrounded by the people who you and your partner feel closest too, and while you may been close to someone when they tied the knot, after changing jobs, having children or moving interstate, they may not be one of the people you feel close to any more.
With these 5 top tips to help you pick your wedding party, your special day will be spent by the side of people who will make it fun and full of precious moments!