One of the most challenging parts of a wedding are choosing who will be in your wedding party. The more formal and the larger the wedding, usually the more attendants. Those chosen to be a wedding party should be people who are important in your life, those who have your best interests at heart. Consider where your wedding party lives, and whether they will be able to get together a few times before the wedding for dress fittings, showers etc. If they all live a distance away, perhaps you might want to consider local people or making your party smaller. Family and best friends (guys or gals) are great choices for the Maid/Matron of Honour or Best Woman/Man. There really is no set rule. I just officiated at a wedding that had 3 Best Men and they all had a role. There were also 2 ushers that were used to seat. A rule of thumb for ushers is one per fifty guests. Prior to asking your wedding party, it’s a good idea to discuss with your fiance about the cost expectations regarding the wedding party. Who is paying for the dresses, shoes, tux rental, and if they have to travel expenses. (travel expenses definately need to be discussed for a destination wedding) This can be a touchy subject when even asking a friend to be in your wedding party. Many of you that are in their later 20’s may have several weddings in one year. That can be quite expensive. Some newer ideas are that you can have family or friends seat people, rather than making it formal. If you are having a small wedding, people can seat themselves. (Have a few chairs reserved for family). There is nothing wrong with having just your 2 witnesses as your wedding party. This will free you to ask your closer friends and family to assist in planning or with speeches and toasts after the ceremony. Think outside the box and be flexible. Yes it is your day, but the people in your wedding party are giving of themselves to help you with your day… treat them kindly.
