How to Pick Your Bridesmaids and Groomsmen

While both of you are the most important people at the wedding, half the fun is being able to celebrate and anticipate your big day by your side, serving as bridesmaids and groomsmen with your closest friends. While you may think that you can just grab your friends, assign them a bridal title, and call it a day, before assembling your wedding party, there are a few other things you'll want to consider.

Our specialists have five main tips to help you choose your bridesmaids and groomsmen and insure that your wedding party is one for the ages.
Start Out With Siblings

The perfect way to begin choosing your bridesmaids and groomsmen is to include your siblings. You may prefer to have them serve as ushers or junior attendants if they're much younger, but if they're close to your age, definitely give them the full-blown honour. And nothing stops a bride from making a bridesman for her brother or a groom from making a groomslady for his sister.
7 Great ways to include your brother in your marriage
Emphasizing Reliability

While you may not need to participate too much in planning your wedding with your bridesmaids or groomsmen, there will be times when you will need to know that you can count on them. They may not be the right person for the job, especially with bridesmaid dress order deadlines and tight timelines on the day of your wedding, if your friend almost never calls you back or constantly shows up late when you have plans. Instead, lean towards friends you know will reply to your emails, show up (or a few minutes early) when you need them, and probably be more prepared than you.
Reflect Personalities

Before sending out your "Be My Bridesmaid?" Gifts, think of how your wedding party is going to get along. That doesn't mean that everyone has to be the best of friends, but if one person on your list has a stronger, or even abrasive, personality and tends to rub people the wrong way, you'll want to avoid that potential drama if you can.

Aim for a group of friendly, cordial bridesmaids and groomsmen who can easily move between groups to quickly cross "fights between friends" off the list of things to worry about on your wedding day.
Mindfulness of the budget

We all know it is expensive to be a bridesmaid or a groomsman. The bill can add up even if you pay for their accommodations or chip in for the suit or dress, between flights, gifts, and the bachelor and bachelorette parties. If you know a friend is financially in a tough spot, call them before making the official request to talk about it. Let them know you'd love to include them, but if joining the wedding party might be too costly, they also have a few alternative ways to be involved.
Close friends make great readers, give great toasts at the rehearsal dinner, and could also distribute programmes at the ceremony or serve as ushers.
Think Feelings About

Sometimes, the easiest way to make sure no one's feelings are hurt is to have fewer bridesmaids or groomsmen. The smaller group could save you a lot of stress in deciding who does and does not make the cut if your choice is between having just your sister and your childhood BFF stand next to you or expanding into two or three friend groups and ten or more maids. On the other hand, if you're committed to the idea of a huge wedding party and a big wedding party, then that's it.