You are probably hyperventilating whenever someone asks you how many bridesmaid and groomsmen you’ll have during your big day. Coming up with a tangible figure may seem like one of those small and trivial wedding preparation details, but it’s not. Every groomsman in your wedding party doubles up as an usher, and for every 40 or 50 ushers, you should have one usher.
Therefore, if you chose a small number of groomsmen, you may end up asking some of your guests to step in and cover for the missing ushers. The same goes for bridesmaid. They play a vital role in the during the wedding, like helping guests find the right chair, or even helping them find that vintage photo booth you rented specifically for this day.
If you expect more than 200 guests at your wedding, you should have anywhere between 7 to 10 bridesmaid. The same goes for the groomsmen. Also, if you’ve opted to go for a formal wedding, remember you have to get a flower girl as well as a ring bearer on top of the bridesmaid and groomsmen. For informal weddings, you can get away with 5 bridesmaid and 5 groomsmen though. That’s because formal weddings tend to be private affairs with a limited number of guests.
On the other hand, if you’ve chose to do a casual wedding, and they are fantastic by the way, you only need the maid of honor and the best man. You may throw in a few more bridesmaid and groomsmen, but you won’t need a flower girl or a ring bearer.
There are other unorthodox weddings where you don’t need a groom’s party or a bridal party. For instance, if you are having a late-in-life wedding, you can have your children fill in the position for the groomsmen and the bridesmaids, but there’s no law that says that’s a must.
However, as much as the above guide may help you make up your mind remember the numbers are not set in stone. You can bend or even break the rules. For instance, you can opt for a formal wedding even if you are doing it late in life and go for the whole nine yards with 10 bridesmaids and 10 groomsmen.
What is important is molding the wedding preparations to fit the wedding vision you’ve always had in your mind. In fact, if you want a wedding themed after the Game of Thrones, no one can stop you. Just make sure your groomsmen and bridesmaid dress the part and take lots of pictures in that photo booth rental.