Wedding Party 101 - What You Need to Know

Nowadays, many couples opt to skip this tradition and just choose one important person each to stand by their sides.  So, the first thing we recommend is to decide if you want to have a wedding party. If you do, the next step is deciding who you want to be a part of it. If there are people that you have envisioned being a part of your wedding since you were little or a best friend you couldn’t celebrate without, then we suggest you include them. 

Think of your wedding party as a group of people who have been with you through thick and thin and who you want to be by your side to celebrate your marriage to your partner. Ultimately, you can have whoever you want in your wedding party. You can also include any number of people. Usually, though, the average is somewhere between three to five on either side of the couple. But don’t worry, we sometimes see up to 12 people on each side. The sky's the limit! As always, Loverly’s number one rule for wedding planning is... there are no rules! Pick the people in your life you want to have by your side. Don’t limit yourself with some arbitrary number—so long as the people you include are important to you. Our one caveat to that freedom is that traditionally the party is called upon to do a lot of the planning especially for events outside of the wedding itself, such as the wedding shower or the bachelor/ette/x parties. Although you don’t have to ask for help, we highly recommend it! And the right people will always show up for you when you need them, just keep this in mind while you’re putting together your squad.

Mixed gender wedding parties are very on trend at the moment and, again, we encourage you to include whoever you want! When it comes to your bridesmaids and groomsmen, the old rules no longer apply! They can wear mismatched gowns, you can have more bridesmaids than groomsmen, and -- surprise! -- your "maids" can be men! More and more couples are opting for mixed-gender wedding parties, but some are still unsure how to make it work for them. Think of it like this, choose a term you (and they) are comfortable with and don’t overthink it. Groomsmaids, bridesmen, man of honor, best woman...or something else entirely! Have fun with it and enjoy having them by your side on your special day.  

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