The Pros and Cons of a Big Bridal Party

Pros

No need to exclude anyone. Younger brides and grooms seem especially drawn to large bridal parties, likely due to friendships from school that haven’t yet drifted apart over time. If you are very close with a team, sorority, or you just have a lot of sisters and want to include friends as well, not limiting yourself to an arbitrarily small number can help keep someone from feeling left out. 

Getting more help with planning. Though it’s not quite right to expect help because you asked them to stand by your side on your big day, the odds of having someone offer their expertise or assistance goes up if there are more people in your bridal party. A team of friends could be especially helpful when it comes to pre-wedding events, so that one person doesn’t shoulder the burden of planning the events.

Feeling the love and support. Whether it’s getting ready that morning or always having someone around to accompany you to a dress fitting, more attendants means more love. 

Cons

The cost can be high. Even if you are not paying for the attire for your bridesmaids or groomsmen, there is still the cost of bouquets, boutonnieres, hair and makeup, and gifts. Not to mention that a large wedding party means there will be more guests at the rehearsal dinner, especially if they have significant others.

It can be difficult to coordinate. Finding the right dress, even with a mismatched aesthetic, can only get more complicated with every new opinion added to the mix. 

There are more opportunities for drama. Surely everybody you plan to include has a perfect attitude, but when you get a large group together – especially if they’re not part of the same social circle – the odds of growing tension and disagreements increase exponentially.

Learn how to make an uneven bridal party work, how to have co-ed honor attendants, and discover what to expect from bridesmaids.