Newly engaged couples often start creating ideas in their heads of how their wedding day could look. Will it be indoors or outdoors? Big or small? Urban or rural? How many bridesmaids will you have? What kind of food will you serve? Planning a wedding means answering a loooooot of questions.

Today we’re going to try an answer one of the most curious questions we see popping up in wedding conversations: Who can I have stand in my bridal party?

Let me just start by letting you know that you don’t have to choose 4-5 friends to wear matching dresses and stand beside you as you say your vows. Christy & Erik (above) chose just to include her sister and nieces in her bridal party—and look how fantastic they are together. If you have lots of mutual friends between you like Sophie and Brett (below) Why not include them all and just have them spaced out around you both? If guests don’t have to sit on the proper side anymore, why should your wedding party? YOUR DAY AND YOUR MEMORIES ARE MORE IMPORTANT than us capturing a picture perfect classic wedding. In fact, that’s actually the last thing we want. We’re here to capture you and the authenticity of your love and you being surrounded by your loved ones. This can look anyway that it looks. We just want to capture the authentic thing. That’s what’s important.

Another quick PSA on bridal parties: gender roles and human roles are out the window these days. You can absolutely have a groomsgirl, bridesman, man of honor, mom of honor, dog of honor, best dog, etc. really the sky is the limit on this one. Here are a few we’ve had the pleasure of capturing. Notice the cutout? The sister of our bride was too pregnant to fly to the wedding, so she sent a giant cutout of herself to stand with the other bridesmaids.

You could also choose not to have a bridal party at all. There are actually many practical benefits to this option. For one, they don’t have to buy a one-and-done dress or rent a suit. You can also save a whole lot of money on bouquet flowers. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t still invite your best friends and celebrate the weekend together, just take out the bit about them standing at your wedding. You can get married in the style of an elopement--so beautiful and intimate, but your guests can still all be there like a traditional wedding. We think this is a really cool way of taking the best from both worlds and making the wedding about you--the two getting married. Another great advantage to nixing the bridal party is that without one, there’s really no need to have a wedding rehearsal. Not hosting a formal rehearsal dinner will save you so much freaking money. Instead put that money toward doing something you actually want to do. Like maybe taking your would-be bridal party besties on a kayaking trip or to the spa the day before the wedding. The whole purpose of your friends standing with you on your wedding day is to show their support of your marriage. Your friends can do that by showing up and celebrating with you, not out of bridal party obligation, but a sincere desire to be there for you on your big day.

So before you jump the gun and start asking friends to be in your wedding party, take a moment to really consider what you want your wedding day or weekend to look like. Are you picking your bridal party because its traditional and you never thought about changing it up? Or because it’s traditional and that’s how you love it? It’s your day! Celebrate and commemorate how YOU want. Whatever your love story looks like--traditional, unconventional, or a little bit of both--we’re here for it!

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Who's Your Bridal Crew? Non-Traditional Bridal Party Ideas

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