Choosing who is in your wedding party can sometimes seem like a daunting task, here are a few tips that we hope will help. On your wedding day it’s normal to want all of your friends to be there celebrating with you, but who do you choose to be in the exclusive wedding party?

How Many People?
Deciding how large you want your wedding party is a good place to start. The average size is about eight people, four groomsmen, four bridesmaids. This is usually a good jumping off point.  Keep in mind the cost of each person in your wedding party. Are they buying their wedding outfits or are you?

What are Their Duties?
It’s important to make it clear what your expectations for your bridal party are. How much of the planning do you want them to be a part of? Make sure that if you want them to be a part of the planning they have the schedule and location to accommodate that. The last thing you want is to think that your wedding party will be able to help you out with important wedding details and they are unavailable, leaving you to do the heavy lifting alone.

What Else is There to Do?
Sometime there are friends that you want in your wedding, but just don’t make the list for wedding party. That’s okay. There are lots of other roles that can be filled, such as an usher, reception staffer, program distributors, or even musician if they are so inclined. There is always so much to do on a wedding day it doesn’t hurt to have a couple extra hands of friends that want to help out to make your day the best it can be.

It’s Your Day
Lastly, keep in mind that the people you choose for your wedding party will be the people you spend your whole day with. Although it may sound like a good idea to mash all of your closest friends from all parts of your life together for your big day, make sure they get along. The last thing you want is someone from your wedding party stealing the spotlight from you or stirring up drama.