This part of wedding planning is exciting because you get to start deciding who your bridal squad is going to be. These are the people you see yourself with standing along side the alter and they are your ride of dies throughout your wedding planning process. It can be tricky trying to figure out your Wedding Party, so I’m here to help by sharing my top 5 tips on how to choose your bridal party. – Let’s get in to it!

1. Keep in mind your budget

When choosing your bridal party you’d want to consider your budget first. You’re probably thinking, why is that? If you are planning to choose 12 Bridesmaids and Groomsmen and you would like to create these nice proposal gifts, that means you will have to account for 24 proposal boxes. Oh, and don’t forget their thank you gifts as well. So yeah, you will definitely have to keep your budget in mind when selecting your bridal party.

2. Reliability is a must!

When asking someone to be in your bridal party I suggest emphasizing that reliability is a must, especially if they’ve never been a Bridesmaid before. Although you won’t need them to participate in too much of the wedding plans but there will be some moments that you will need their support and assistance with completing certain task. So how will you know if this person you are planning to select as a Bridesmaid is reliable, here are a few factors to think about; Are they responsive when you call/email them? Can you trust that they will complete certain task/duties on time without having to hassle them to get things done? Can they show up when you need them to? If the answer is no to all of these questions, then the person you were considering to be your Bridesmaid may not be the right person for the job. Trust me this is the last thing you want to stress about.

3. Feelings will get hurt

Honestly, this was a challenge for me when I was selecting my Bridesmaid and I had no idea how many feelings were going to get hurt, I just wasn’t prepared for it! When you’re choosing your Bridal party there will be some family and friends that will take offense when they find out they aren’t selected to be apart of your wedding party. If you know one particular person that you are close with and you aren’t choosing them to be a Bridesmaid, it’s best to let them know ahead of time before they find out from someone else. Nip it in the bud right away because you don’t need that kind of stress added on to your plate. But again, Someone’s feelings is bound to get hurt, it’s really not much you can do about it.

4. Can they afford to be in your wedding

It’s really important to keep in mind their budget as well before officially asking if they can be in your wedding. It can be an uncomfortable conversation to have but it’s best to ask early on before they fully commit to the role of being a Bridesmaid. Especially to those that haven’t been a Bridesmaid before, they may not know all that comes with the role. It’s best to let them know they will need to be able to purchase a bridesmaid dress, shoes, alterations, hair, makeup, accessories, can they contribute financially to any of the pre-wedding engagements such as the bridal shower and bachelorette party. If they don’t have the means financially to contribute and you really want them to be apart of your wedding party, there are other ways to accommodate. For instance, you can assign them to a different role during your wedding. Like an Usher at the ceremony, they can give a toast at the wedding or rehearsal dinner.

5. Personalities matters

This is really BIG! You’d definitely want to make sure their personalities mesh well with others to prevent unnecessary drama. You’d want to aim for a group of Bridesmaids that are friendly and have positive vibes. Trust me, the last thing you want during this process is to have a bunch of Divas on your hands.

Lastly, my bonus tip for you is to enjoy this process of your wedding plans. It’s always fun to ask your friends and family to be apart of your big day. You’d want people in your corner that are fun, vibrant and people you can count on that will have your back during your wedding planning process. Before I go, if you’d like to listen to more tips on How to Choose your Bridal Party check out my YouTube video below! – XO, Jalyssa