Welcome back, my loves and

HAPPY NEW YEAR ! :)

I hope all of you had an amazing winter Holiday season filled with lots of happiness and cheer, and an equally good time bringing in 2012 ! I`ve been doing a lot of brainstorming for some new approaches for my blog material, and it wouldn`t have been possible without your helpful feedback ! I`m super excited for what`s on the horizon, and I hope you`re excited to take the journey with me too . I`ll probably begin my new format in February, but for this month, you can definitely count on another post on the 15th! For now, please check out my response below to an excellent Formspring question I received from an anonymous individual.

Q: "Is it possible to have too many groomsmen? Although far from marriage I often think of what my wedding party [will be]."

A: Greetings and Happy New Year to you! Thank you so much for your fantastic question and for taking the time to stop by and ask!

Selecting your wedding party is often one of the more exciting decisions to make during the wedding planning process, but it can also be one of the most difficult.

Personally, I feel this is more of a subjective question, therefore lacking a truly definitive answer. I have done weddings with anywhere from zero attendants (bridesmaids/groomsmen) on either side of the couple to be wed, to as many as 11 attendants on either side (excluding the flower girls and ring bearers), in addition to weddings where the only attendants selected were the Maid/Matron of Honor and the Best Man.

Professionally, I would recommend choosing your number wisely, based on the following:

* HOW LARGE/OPEN iS YOUR CEREMONY VENUE?
_ If you are thinking about having a larger wedding party, I would keep that in mind when selecting your wedding ceremony venue! If there is not a lot of standing room for your bridesmaids and groomsmen to comfortably flank the two of you, I would either err on the side of caution and go with a smaller number, or have them sit after the bride makes her way down the aisle to meet you at the altar!

* WiLL YOUR ATTENDANTS (BRiDESMAiDS AND GROOMSMEN) STAND OR BE SEATED FOR THE DURATiON OF THE CEREMONY, OR WiLL THEY DO A MiXTURE OF BOTH?
_ Some couples do not have a true preference, often because it is a detail that most couples don`t think about until they arrive at their wedding rehearsal to get everyone on the same page before the big day!

I`ve seen a mixture of standing and seated parties, but weddings that tend to be later in the day or more formal tend to have their attendants stand for the duration of the ceremony -- with the exception of the young children (flower girls and ring bearers). If having your attendants flank you is really important to you, make sure your venue is large enough to accommodate your wish.

If your attendants will be seated, work with the layout of your venue space to arrange everyone in a configuration that works until the bride makes it to the altar, and then everyone can be seated on the first few pews until it is time to recess after the bride and groom have been married and presented as husband and wife!

* ARE THERE OTHER WAYS/ROLES YOU CAN THiNK OF TO iNCORPORATE SOME OF YOUR CHERiSHED iNDiViDUALS iNTO YOUR WEDDiNG DAY?
_ Perhaps you can designate other roles to indicate your key players, such as hosts/hostesses (who assist with seating your guests); readers (who can read a passage/poem or scripture during the ceremony); or they could help with coordinating the ceremony by rolling out the aisle runner before the bride enters or lighting candles to indicate that the ceremony is about to begin.

Other tips/things to keep in mind and help you make a decision:

* There are usually an equal number of attendants on either side, so
8 bridesmaids (including the Maid of Honor) + 1 flower girl often = 8 groomsmen (including the Best Man) + 1 ring bearer
^^ If your wedding party will stand for the ceremony, equal numbers on both sides are more visually appealing.

* Arrange your bridesmaids and groomsmen in a way that makes it easy for your photographer to photograph!
You don`t want it to look like an army, where the altar is so congested that it makes it hard to pick out who the bride and the groom are!

* Discuss with your partner if you want to have siblings included in the wedding party, especially if one of you has more siblings than the other!
If you only want 4 groomsmen but your bride-to-be has 3 brothers, that only leaves you 1 slot for a male of your choice.

* More bridesmaids/groomsmen = more people to coordinate for fittings, planning sessions, wedding socials, etc.

* More bridesmaids/groomsmen also = more gifts to purchase! Don`t be stingy!
Instead, choose nice gifts that your budget can accommodate comfortably.

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I hope the information shared has been helpful, and thank you again for your thoughts! I hope you had a wonderful Holiday and I look forward to hearing more from you in the future :) May you have a prosperous and beautifully-Blessed 2012!

Sincerely,
Alana
Sequin Soirees
Owner | Event Coordinator | Blogger <3
http://www.SequinSoirees.blogspot.com | SequinSoirees@gmail.com

Ask me anything weddings, special events, decor, && do-it-yourself design elements !!

See you on January 15th, kiddos!