As a bride or groom, asking your closest friends and family members to be in the wedding party can seem like a fun and special way to let them know how much they mean to you. It can also turn into a massive pain in the butt.
That’s why more couples are choosing to ditch the bridal party tradition altogether. We recently asked HuffPost readers why they decided to go bridesmaid- or groomsmen-free. Below, 9 totally legitimate reasons you might want to do the same:
1. You don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings.
“We chose not to have wedding attendants because we have too many close friends and family members to choose from. Almost everyone that attended the wedding could have also stood with us.” ― Melissa S.
2. You know how expensive being a bridesmaid or groomsman can be.
“I was a bridesmaid three times and love these girls to death to this day, but every time I went through their wedding planning process I resented them. It’s such a huge expense of time and money for someone not actually getting married ― $300 bridesmaid dress, plane tickets, bachelorette party, showers, gifts, hotels, hair and makeup.” ― Ana L.
3. You’re having a small wedding to begin with.
“We had a small wedding so no bridal party ― if we did, there would be hardly anyone sitting in the congregation!” ― Quiana C.
4. You want all your guests to enjoy themselves, no strings attached.
“We wanted our guests to enjoy the day as much as us. Being together 12 years before we were able to legally marry, we wanted this to really celebrate with the people who had supported us through the good and the bad, without feeling like they were working or had a job to do.” ― Mary B.
5. You want to keep the day as simple and stress-free as possible.
“I felt that bridesmaids and groomsmen complicated a process that I wanted to be easy. I was a very low-key bride (I bought my dress off the rack from Nordstrom). I wanted zero stress, zero drama. It was perfect.” ― Angela M.
6. It gives you more time to just focus on each other.
“Less hectic, less stressful and I feel like we actually got to put 100 percent of our attention and energy on each other ― just like it should be! My sister was upset she wasn’t included in the ceremony so she was our witness instead.” ― Megan C.
7. It’s your second marriage.
“Second marriage for both of us ― the mayor, family and close friends only. We want it to be about us and not everybody and everything else.” ― Jeanne F.
8. No bridal party = less planning.
“I really didn’t like the idea of having to micromanage them. I also wanted a no-fuss wedding because I hate planning things! Absolutely NO regrets, and my friends thanked me!” ― Gina I.
9. You can’t think of enough people you really want up there with you anyway.
“Hubby and I went bridal party-free at our wedding because we were broke as hell and honestly neither of us knew or liked enough people. Our entire wedding including my dress and our rings cost $250. There were 11 people there including us. Eight and a half years later we’re slightly less broke but still poor, and we both still have less than eight friends.” ― Autumn R.
*Some responses have been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
