September 16th 2023.
Is it simply too much hassle? When it comes to planning a wedding, couples must consider many elements such as rings, cake and a venue. However, one 'traditional' wedding element that is becoming less popular is having a bridal party.
Love Island's Olivia Attwood recently spoke about deciding not to have bridesmaids on her big day. She said: ‘I was like, “if I get everyone in, who would be expecting to be one?” It was just going to be so many. I could buy ten dresses, or buy myself a piece of jewellery.’
Jacqs Taylor, 34, also decided not to have any bridesmaids when she got married four years ago. Despite having two sisters she's close with, she states: ‘I just don't like the bridesmaid tradition. I don't even like being a bridesmaid myself. I had a lot of pressure to have bridesmaids but I think I have been so independent my whole life that I felt I didn't need the bridesmaids. Also, in my opinion, I don't really know what a bridesmaid adds to a wedding. I organised my hen do myself too. I have no regrets about not having bridesmaids at all.’
Katie Chodosh, 33, from Surrey, also chose to ditch adult bridesmaids and simply had her four young nieces as flower girls. She explains: ‘Children aren’t as fussy about what they have to wear, and all of their parents were very happy to help with choosing the right size clothes and taking them to get appropriate shoes. I had also seen from other weddings that choosing adult bridesmaids can cause upset – it sometimes feels like a game of picking and parading who your best friends are out of them all, and that made me feel uncomfortable. I tried to be upfront with by friends about it and explained that I wanted one less thing to organise, and I felt that they understood. I guess I can’t be completely sure, but I still stand by my decision. I’m sure that there would have been more upset if I had handpicked a few bridesmaids, rather than opting out completely.’
Kate Greenhalgh, 44, from Bolton, also didn't have bridesmaids for this very reason. She states: ‘I had a maid of honour and asked eight friends and family members to wear blue dresses to match. They decided to name themselves my Blue Belles. Having been a bridesmaid myself several times and attended 12 weddings in the three years before our big day I either needed to have nine, or none. I opted for none, but saved them all seats along the aisle and they all rocked the blue brief. The included my five closest friends, cousin, god-daughter and step-sister. My other step-sister was my maid of honour.’
With this in mind, would you consider not having bridesmaids on your wedding day? It's definitely a decision that more and more brides-to-be are taking, so it is certainly worth considering. Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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