Wedding Planning 101: Deciding Who Will Make Up the Bridal Entourage

Anyone who has ever planned a wedding knows that there are so many decisions that need to be made in order to prepare for the perfect celebration. Everything needs to be carefully planned, right down to the smallest details. Among these issues that require meticulous attention is the selection of the people who will comprise the bridal entourage, as well as the various details such as their individual roles and their outfits.

Decide on the Size of the Bridal Entourage

The first step towards forming the perfect bridal entourage is to identify the persons that the couple wants to include, as well as how big they want the bridal entourage to be. One of the most common problems that couples face is when they want to limit their bridal entourage to a modest size but they have too many friends and relatives who want to be a part of the wedding. In this case, the couple would have to be very careful in making their selection, taking extra care to include the people who are most important to them.

It is a common practice to have the same number of bridesmaids and groomsmen because it gives a nice balance to wedding pictures, and even the bridal procession and the invitations. However, this is not a fixed rule. For example, if there are far more important men than women for the couple, they can have an unequal number of bridesmaids and groomsmen in the bridal party.

Decide on the Role of Each Person in the Bridal Entourage

When choosing the people you want to include in your bridal entourage, you may or may not already have a designated role in mind for them. If not, the next step would be to assign a role for each member of the bridal entourage. Ideally, start by choosing the maid-of-honor and best man. These two people are the most important people to the bride and groom, respectively. The persons usually assigned these roles are best friends or siblings of the couple.

In addition to being a part of the bridal entourage, the best man and the maid-of-honor are also normally expected to help with the wedding preparations. For instance, the bride might ask the help of her maid-of-honor in shopping for the perfect bridal gown and the groom may want his best man to help him make decisions regarding the reception venue. Once you've selected your maid-of-honor and best man, you can then move on to choosing everyone else, from the primary sponsors right down to the smallest flower girl.

Decide on the Bridal Entourage's Attire

After finalizing the members of the bridal entourage, the next issue is the attire. For the men in the bridal entourage, this is very easy. Unless you have a special attire in mind, a regular tuxedo will work just fine. All you have to do is get the measurements of each man (and boy) in the bridal entourage and rent them a tuxedo. For the women, though, a lot more preparation is required. Many brides allow their bridesmaids to choose their own dresses but like to have them color-coordinated. Many brides prefer to take their bridesmaids along when they go dress-shopping to make sure that the dresses not only fit well but also receive the approval of each bridesmaid who is going to wear the dresses. There are also some brides who like their bridesmaids to wear the same dress style but in varying colors. If this is what you want, you will need to find a dress style that compliments the body of each of your bridesmaids, which can be difficult at times.

Your Bridal Entourage's Role During the Wedding Ceremony

One more crucial decision to make regarding the bridal entourage is what role each of the members is expected to play during the wedding ceremonies itself. Typically, the bridesmaids' role is to help the bride prepare before the ceremony, as well as to be there for moral support. The groomsmen, on the other hand, are normally assigned as ushers who will greet the guests as they come in. Make sure that each member of the bridal party understands what is expected of them to ensure that the ceremony goes as smoothly as possible.