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Updated Oct 07, 2024How Many Bridesmaids Can You Have? Here's How to Decide
And is there such a thing as too many?
When it comes to choosing your wedding party, we're firm believers that anything goes within reason. Of course there are a few things to consider—and maybe some things that are best avoided—but for decisions like how many bridesmaids can you have or who should be in the wedding party, the ball is really in your court. Before you choose your bridesmaids, let's run through a quick refresher on bridesmaid etiquette and the process, including the average number of bridesmaids at a wedding and how many bridesmaids you can (or should) have in your party. Finally, we're settling the debate: Is there such a thing as too many bridesmaids? Here's what we think.
In this article:
- How Many Bridesmaids Can You Have?
- How Many Bridesmaids Should You Have?
- Average Number of Bridesmaids
- How Many Bridesmaids Is Too Many?
- How Many Junior Bridesmaids Can You Have?
- How to Cut Down the Number of Bridesmaids
How Many Bridesmaids Can You Have?
Let's cut right to the chase: You can have as many or as few bridesmaids as you want. There's no right or wrong number—it's completely up to you and your partner, depending on who you want standing with you on the wedding day.
If you want to include 10 bridesmaids in your wedding party, go ahead and do your thing. If you only want a maid of honor or one bridesmaid, that's okay too. And if you're on the fence about the whole thing, remember that you don't actually need to have any bridesmaids, so you can skip the wedding party altogether (we lowkey love this idea). When you're thinking about how many bridesmaids you can have, it's important to remember that this role goes beyond simply standing at the altar on the wedding day. Being a bridesmaid takes a lot of commitment, so there's a clear line between how many bridesmaids you can have and how many you should have, based on who's actually up for the task.
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How Many Bridesmaids Should You Have?
There's no such thing as a normal number of bridesmaids, so the final call is totally up to you. It's something you'll need to decide between you and your partner, based on who your closest friends, family and other must-have attendants are—if any.
As we mentioned, deciding who should be a bridesmaid is different than choosing someone just because you can. You might feel like you should choose a specific number of bridesmaids to match the number of attendants your partner has, but that's not the case (unless you really, really want those people to be your bridesmaids). If your spouse wants to include their 10 best friends from high school but you're only including your three close cousins, don't worry about making sure you have the same number on both sides. An uneven wedding party will still look perfect—we promise.
On top of that, you might come across the argument that the number of bridesmaids and wedding attendants is determined by the size and type of your wedding. The more formal the wedding, the more attendants you should have (for example, a black-tie wedding with more than 200 guests may have up to 12 attendants). But don't let old traditions dictate your decision. You should have however many bridesmaids you feel comfortable with, no matter the dress code, venue or guest count. The most important thing is that you're choosing people you genuinely can't imagine your day without.
Average Number of Bridesmaids
According to The Knot Real Weddings Study 2023, the typical number of bridesmaids is four people. Although there's no right or wrong number of bridesmaids, you might consider four people to be a good sweet spot. It's a big enough group that the bridesmaid duties don't all fall onto one person, but on the other hand, you won't be overwhelmed by coordinating a large group of people (especially taking your partner's attendants, if any, into consideration).
How Many Bridesmaids Is Too Many?
There's no limit to the number of bridesmaids you can have. But with that in mind, we have to point out that having more people in your wedding party also means more opinions, more schedules to coordinate when planning prewedding events and more expenses for you, like bridesmaid gifts. It all comes down to your preferences, but don't forget to consider logistical details, too. If your ceremony venue doesn't have a lot of open space for people to stand at the altar, you might consider limiting your group to just two or three people, versus 8 or 15 bridesmaids.
How Many Junior Bridesmaids Can You Have?
You can have as many junior bridesmaids as you want, although the role is usually limited to three or four attendants. The number of junior bridesmaids will depend on who you want to include (nieces, cousins, stepdaughters, etc.) and whether their age could be a better fit for a different role, like flower girl or bridesmaid. Junior bridesmaids participate in a lot of the same things as the adult bridesmaids, including attending the wedding shower and standing at the altar during the ceremony, so keep in mind that they'll add to the overall wedding party tally.
How to Cut Down the Number of Bridesmaids
It's exciting to think about celebrating with a big group of bridesmaids as soon as you get engaged, but your budget and emotions might say otherwise once you actually start planning the wedding. For this reason, it's important not to ask someone to be a bridesmaid until you're 100% positive that you want them in the wedding—it's much trickier to fire a bridesmaid after you've already made a promise to them.
Nixing someone from your bridesmaid list isn't always an easy decision, but what matters most is that you follow your gut and do what you feel is best for you (not someone else). When you're narrowing down your final list of bridesmaids, do a gut-check to see if you're including anyone out of sheer obligation. It's a hot-button topic, but you don't have to reciprocate a bridesmaid offer just because your friend asked you to be in their wedding a few years ago. Look at the friends you're closest with at this moment, and don't ask someone to be in your wedding party that you wouldn't include otherwise. Being an attendant is an honor and a commitment, and you shouldn't pick—or in the same vein, cut—anyone for the sake of optics. If you have a lot of friends and loved ones you still want to include, ask them to be in your wedding house party, which is kind of like being a bridesmaid without participating in the wedding ceremony.
