Congrats! You’re getting married and now you and your fiancé are thinking about who you will be choosing to be in your tribe and be by your side until your big day. Choosing your Bridal Party should be part of the fun but you should also give it some thought to avoid it being an unnecessary factor of wedding stress. Here are five simple tips to follow in choosing your Bridal Party.

THINK ABOUT IT TWICE

Once you choose the friends you want to be in your Bridal Party, there is no going back and those are the girls who will be standing by your side on your big day. While it may be tempting to ask all of your favorite friends in the moment, take some time and think about it. How long have you known these girls? Will you be as close with this person in 5-10 years as you are now?

Don’t be guilt tripped into including a specific someone just because you feel you have to, regardless of the family relation that might bring you together. If the genuine connection isn’t there, it’s ok to opt out of including them. We’re all adults here and I’m sure they will understand. If you’re on the fence about somebody, consider how they will fit in with the rest of your Bridal Party. The last thing you need is to add somebody who will bring drama or negativity to a time that should be about celebrating love and friendship.

BRIDESMAID GIFTS

Once you decide who you want to be a part of your Bridal Party, show them how special they are by giving them a little gift as you ask them to be your bridesmaids. I went with these personalized, floral Etsy mugs and a handwritten note to each girl. You can find similar ones here. For the heck of it, I also got myself the Bridezilla one to keep it humorous and avoid me actually reaching that point.

SET REASONABLE EXPECTATIONS

If you are looking for a Bridal Party who will be involved in all the little details leading up to your big day, you need to be reasonable and not choose people with little children, busy schedules or who live far away because you will only be setting yourself up for disappointment. If you are more on the side of being ok with choosing dresses for your girls and having them show up for your big day, you have nothing to worry about. I had my MOH by my side, helping me choose the dress and after that it’s been more of sending her all the details and asking for help via phone or text because we both have hectic schedules with work and babies.

CONSIDER WEDDING SIZE

Take into consideration the size of your wedding before having an intimate wedding of 50 guest with 12 Bridesmaids and 12 Groomsmen. If that’s really what you want, it’s ok but general rule of thumb is to stick to 4 Bridesmaid for a wedding of 60 guests. If you are looking at 150 + guests, you can go as high as 12 Bridesmaids. Just remember that more isn’t always merrier and you will have more personalities to deal with when choosing dresses, tuxes and bachelor party ideas.

We’re having 175 guests and went with 8 Bridesmaids and Groomsmen, including Jr. Bridesmaid and Jr. Groomsmen.

YOUR WEDDING, YOUR RULES

It’s your wedding and you and your fiancé should ultimately have what you want for your big day. You can switch it up and have a Man of Honor and Best Woman, you can mix it up and have girls and guys on both sides, what’s important is having the people who are most special to you.

You may also enjoy: Romantic Save The Date: Wedding Planning and Ways To Include Your Kids In Your Wedding.