Every girl dreams of her wedding day - and of course her wedding dream is always perfect.
The dream day doesn't usually involve a friend who couldn't make it, a second class restaurant because all the best ones were booked, or an over intrusive mother in law to be.
But no wedding day goes exactly as planned - there are often many small bumps leading up to the day and often at least a couple on the day itself. No matter how well you plan there'll always be something unexpected.
Most bridal parties consist of a bride and groom as well as an equal number of bridesmaids and grooms men.
But sometimes this isn't the case - unless you want to ask people who you barely know and really probably won't be happy seeing in your wedding photos for years to come, it may not be the best way to plan a wedding party. Or a bridal party member may fall sick or be called away on the day of the wedding, leaving a big gap to be filled.
Don't despair though - you don't always need the same number of bridesmaids and groomsmen!
Planning An Uneven Bridal Party
by wrylilt
If you've got more bridesmaids than groomsmen, it can cause a logistics nightmare - here are some ways to fix the problem.
 Too Many Bridesmaids? |
Reasons For Unequal Bridal Parties
There are plenty of reasons for a couple choosing to have an unequal bridal party, including the following:
- One partner is a very social person while the other is not.
- One partner has a very large family.
- A bridesmaid or grooms-men either turned down the invitation or could not attend on the day for personal reasons.
- Social or financial constraints on the wedding.
Ways to Make Unequal Bridal Parties Look Good
- Have three people walk down the aisle together; a male and two females or a female and two males.
- Have the larger number group stand at the back, followed by the smaller group and the bride & groom in front. (For example, 6 bridesmaids, 4 groomsmen then bride & groom.)
- Make the singled out person a centre piece - for instance a maid of honor can wear a different dress and walk down the aisle first, alone.
- Have each member of the bridal party walk down the aisle on their own, varying back and forth between male and female.
More Ways To Get Equal Bridal Parties
Although unequal bridal parties are not unseen, many people prefer to have even ones. Here are some ideas to even out your numbers:
- Invite a wife or husband to be an attendant as well.
- Remove one member of the bridal party but give them a position such as Emcee (wedding host).
- Try an untraditional approach, with no bridal party or a larger party that includes people such as the mother of the bride and father of the groom.
Updated: 09/01/2012, wrylilt
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Comments
BlackSpanielGallery - I had two bridesmaids and my husband had one best man. It was planned (well originally, I planned to have 3 bridesmaids). It worked well, too :)
I would think this would be an emergency situation, not something planned from the beginning, but difficulties can be managed.
I'm sure this may happen quite a bit. Great tips for the uneven attendants situation.