number of bridesmaids?

[dansluv]

Me and my fiance are having trouble with the bridesmaids/groomsmen number issue. He only really has 2-3 people who he could invite for his men, he only has one really good friend. But I would like to include more people for girls. Is it weird to have 2 bridesmaids for each groomsman? And if I do it this way, where do they stand at the front of the church? Does anyone have any other creative ways to do this sort of thing?

 

[Tacori E-ring]

The great thing about weddings is there are no rules. I am having 3 maids and he is having 5 men so we are uneven. It really doesn''t make a difference to me. I am having the girls walk down by themselves (like the old days

) and am excited b/c it is differenct than most weddings I have been to recently. I know people who have picked "fillers" people they were not close to but wanted a certain number and I think that is crazy. They should be your close friends/family IMHO.

 

[MelissaSue]

I am having four bridesmaids, and my fiance is having probably 5 groomsmen. People look at me like i"m crazy when I tell them.. but who cares? It really doesn''t HAVE to match.. Your bridesmaids would stand on your side, the guys would stand on his side..doesn''t matter at all how many there are on each side.. the only time when they are paired really is when they go back down the aisle.. so you can put two girls with each guy, or just with some guys..

 

[dansluv]

ok, that''s what i was thinkin. But if mine is so lopsided (6 vs. 3), how do I have them stand at the front, and what about things like the reception dance? Do I just have them pick a partner or something?

 

[MelissaSue]

How do you have them stand at the front.. This is REALLY simple.. they would stand the same way they would if you had the same numbers. The girls line up behind you, the boys line up behind your fiance.. Your line will just be longer

I am just skipping the bridal party reception dance all together. I think they are stupid.. Whenever I have been in a bridal party I have DREADED dancing with some strange guy who I happen to have been paired up with.. But if you want to have one, then yeah.. I guess you could have them pick partners.. or you could just do like a fun fast song that doesn''t require partnered slow dancing so they can just all get out there and have fun..

 

[Tacori E-ring]

We aren''t doing that dance either. My goal is to cut out as much cheese as possible (I am just not into that kind of stuff). We aren''t go a garter toss or a bouquet toss also. I just want everyone to have fun and have the least amount of discomfort as possible and I for one always dreaded those things.

 

[Odilia]

We had an uneven number too. I had 3 bridesmaids, and my husband had only two groomsmen. Although in the end it sort of worked out, because we added his nephew (8 years old) as a ring bearer, so he was sort of a ''partner'' for walking out of the church with one of the maids.

We didn''t have dancing at our reception, except our first dance, which was a waltz. I personally wanted a different type of reception. My husband and I are not dancers, and having loud music seems to make it so folks have to shout at each other to talk. I figured, all these people came from far and wide, and don''t get much chance to visit with each other, so why have loud music where you can''t even hear yourself think? (I could list MANY other reasons too.) I also have always heard horror stories where the bride and groom told the DJ or band ahead of time not to play certain types of music, and ALWAYS the DJ or band ignores the wishes and plays what they were told not to. I wanted no part of that. We had a string trio dressed in Colonial costume (the reception site was near a Revolutionary War battlefield), and they played music from around the 18th century. The reception site had multiple rooms and a loft, for a more homey feel, instead of being herded into one big cold room with an unused dance floor, etc.. We didn''t do the garter thing at all, and although I tossed a bouquet, it was pretty subdued. We broke with all kinds of the modern-day ''obligatory'' wedding/reception things. (And we most DEFINITELY were not going to do the revolting ''squish the cake in your face'' thing.) My gown had a long-sleeve bodice of ivory silk-velvet. One friend said he felt like he went back in time 100 years at our wedding.

The whole point being, don''t feel obliged to do things the way it has become common to do it. (Incidentally, not trying to criticize anyone''s wedding with my comments here; I realize we were unique.)