This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

How Many Bridesmaids?

Christina Currie sheds some light on bridal parties and when to break tradition.

One of the most common question brides ask me during the early stages of their wedding planning is: “How many bridesmaids are too many?” The traditional rule of thumb is to have one bridesmaid per 50 guests, but what if you want more than that or less? What you should be asking yourself: who do you want standing by your side on one of the biggest days of your life? Also think about the size of your wedding, venue and budget.


When it comes to working out your bridesmaid budget, consider if your bridesmaids will pay for their dresses, shoes, accessories or hair and makeup. You will have to give a thank you gift to all your leading ladies as a token of appreciation. Also, keep in mind that the larger the number of bridesmaids, the harder it may be for you to manage.


You can always delegate honors to those friends you didn’t ask to stand up. Ask them to help coordinate the bridal shower or bachelorette party, sing during the ceremony or prepare a toast for the reception. Most will understand if you have to choose family first.

Find out what's happening in Lake Zurichwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from Lake Zurich