When it comes to choosing your wedding party and deciding how they’ll be included throughout your wedding, where do you start? Rich & Kitch touch on all things wedding party related that will help you as you are planning your wedding!
TIPS FOR CHOOSING YOUR WEDDING PARTY
When it comes time to choose the closest people in your life to stand by your side as you say I do, where do you start? How do you know who to include and who not to include in your wedding party? Here’s our take:
Make sure you are close with the people you ask to be your bridesmaids & groomsmen! They will be with you throughout your wedding day, so don’t ask someone just because you were in their wedding or they are in your family. We think it is important to ask key family members but make sure you are asking them for the right reasons!
Maybe you have a friend who you used to be close with, but have drifted apart. You may want to still ask them to be in your wedding party, but make sure you work on strengthening your relationship leading up to the big day!
Even if you ask someone to be in your wedding, they might not be able to say yes (due to prior commitments or financial obligations) so keep that in mind as you are choosing your wedding party, too.
While it is nice to have an even number on both sides of the bride & the groom, it is by no means a requirement to do that (we had 7 bridesmaids & 6 groomsmen)!
We had a big wedding party which I wouldn’t change for the world! But, a smaller wedding party would have made things more affordable (flowers, gifts, etc.) and since we had a small wedding, it probably would have looked more normal to have a smaller wedding party lol. If your list is getting long, you can think about other ways to include important people in your life. For example, ask them to be an usher, to do a reading during the ceremony, or give a speech at the rehearsal dinner if you are worried about how many people you have standing by you! It would also be nice to include them in your bachelor/bachelorette festivities, if you are doing that, too!
WEDDING PARTY PROPOSALS
Once you and your significant other decide who you want to ask to be in your wedding party, it is time to think of how you want to propose to your bridesmaids & groomsmen! Check out this post to see our bridesmaids & groomsmen proposals or head over to this Etsy shop for a hint on what we did! Once your wedding party members confirm, make sure to include a picture of them and a short bio on your wedding website. Read Rich & Kitch's wedding website tips here!
WEDDING PARTY ATTIRE
After choosing your wedding colors, it’s time to think about attire for your wedding party! Having your wedding party look amazing doesn’t have to be expensive for them either. Finding affordable fashion for our wedding party was important to us, since they were investing in their trip to Cabo for our destination wedding, so here are our finds!
Another affordable bridesmaid dress company I almost went with is called Birdy Grey
We let the girls choose their own shoes (heels, wedges, or flats - whatever they were comfortable in). Having long bridesmaid dresses made this easy to do!
Groomsmen Pants & Shirt from Macy's. Similar attire is linked here!
We let them pick their own belt & shoes - only requested they were brown.
Richie wore these white shoes & his blazer is from Macy's
WEDDING DAY GETTING READY
On the day of the wedding, my parents & I agreed to offer to pay for our bridesmaids hair & makeup, since the girls traveled all the way to Cabo to support us! Not all bridesmaids took us up on the offer (you can read why I wish I did my own makeup here) but those who did were very appreciative. We also had food & booze during our getting ready sessions!
If you are looking for more bridesmaid gift ideas, check out some of my fun picks here (or click the image below)
WEDDING DAY ROLES
It is common for the maid of honor and best man to give a speech during the wedding reception, so make sure yours are comfortable doing that! If not, you could ask another wedding party member to give a speech if speeches are important to you. Other than that, we had our wedding party walk down the aisle, stand by our sides as we said I do, and come to Cabo to party and support us during the most exciting time of our lives!
WEDDING PARTY GIFTS
Agreeing to be in a wedding party is a big commitment, so it’s nice to show them how much you love them with some gifts! To check out the gifts we got for our wedding party, head to this post! We also had a joint bachelor/bachelorette party and paid for bottle service for the group!
Lastly, every bride is different, but I was a do it myself kind of bride, so I didn’t ask my wedding party for much as I was planning our wedding. Every bride is different, so if you are going to be asking your wedding party for a lot of help throughout wedding planning, make sure you clearly communicate your expectations!
Want a FREE helpful worksheet that can easily be shared with your wedding party members? Click here or the image below to get access to a wedding planning freebie that makes it easy to let your wedding party know what to wear & what they will be responsible for leading up to & during your wedding day!
We were so lucky to have our closest family and friends in our wedding party. They showed us so much support coming to Cabo and just being all in for the events we had planned. They were also very respectful and supportive on our wedding day. We all had so much fun and Richie & I are forever grateful!
Your wedding party is a big part of your special day and these tips will help you throughout your wedding planning process!
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