How to choose the perfect ‘Bride Tribe’

Choosing the perfect bridal party can feel a bit daunting, especially if you’re lucky enough to have a large group of friends or lots of sisters, cousins or other close family members. There are also no rules on how many (or how few) bridesmaids you can have. Although, you should consider if your budget can stretch to 12 before you start asking! 

To help you work it out, we’ve put together a few top tips below on who to ask and how and when to do it. Follow our advice and we guarantee you’ll be assembling an elite team!

How many should I have? 

In the UK, the average number of bridesmaids is between two and four, although in America it's common to have between 10 to 15. Here we like to keep it a little bit smaller though, and it’s better to have the right people rather than just trying to make up the numbers. 

Who should I ask?

The best bridesmaids are friends that are thoughtful and organised, as you’ll be relying on them to help with some big planning tasks, including your hen do. Ideally they’ll also be good at providing emotional support, reliable, aware of your likes/dislikes and, of course, fun! What’s more, they don’t have to be restricted to just your girlfriends. Close male friends or male family members are perfectly acceptable, too.  

Also, if you’re super close to your sister she’s probably already on the list. If not, it’s still a good idea to include siblings, sister-in-laws and similarly close family members if at all possible, to avoid unnecessary wedding stress. Don’t forget cute flower girls too, if you have any young nieces or cousins. 

What if I can’t choose everyone I want to?

If you expect your maids to be very hands on, it’s probably best not to ask friends who live a long way away or have very hectic lives. You may also not have the budget for lots of maids or perhaps you simply have a lot of friends. In this case, why not give out other important roles so people feel included, such as giving a reading, helping with the set up, planning a playlist etc. Involve good friends in some of the discussions about the wedding planning too, even if they’re not in your bridal party. 

When should I ask them?

It’s tempting to ring up all your besties the moment you get engaged but pause for a minute. There’s no rush to ask, so make sure you’ve carefully considered who you want before you do. Around eight months to a year before the wedding is ideal, so there’s plenty of time to plan the hen do and more. Also, remember to allow 8 weeks for your dresses to be made to order. 

How do I ask them?

Right, now all the difficult decisions are out of the way, you can have fun ‘popping the question’! There are so many great ways to ask your bridal party, you’ll be spoilt for choice. Why not surprise them with pretty bridesmaid pyjamas and a cute pin and then let them work it out? Or give them a lovely piece of jewellery that they can wear on the big day. Alternatively, you can send them a ‘Will you be my bridesmaid?’ card. It’s a special moment, so however you do it, make sure you have some fun. 

Choosing the dresses (and keeping everyone happy)

So, now you’ve got your bridal party together you can start dress shopping. Depending on how many maids you have you might want to bring them with you wedding dress shopping. At wed2b there’s no limit on how many people you can bring and we have plenty of space for everyone to enjoy the big reveal!

Then it’s time to check out dresses for the bridal party. Our Infinite Collection is designed to keep both you and your maids happy with its wide range of colours and styles. It’s hard to choose just one dress that will flatter every figure, so there are six different designs, with details like straps, sleeves, halter necks and more, to make sure every maid gets something that suits their style and shape.

There are also 15 different colours, designed to work beautifully together. So, you can choose just one colour to suit your theme or mix ’n’ match to create a complementary selection of shades. The choice is yours! Lastly, don’t forget some sparkly extras. Matching hair accessories and a simple glittering belt for each maid can help to tie the whole look together. 

And, relax…

Well done, you’ve created the perfect 'Bride Tribe'! One that will hopefully support you through the whole planning process, look after you on the big day and generally have your back whenever you need it. As well as supplying some life-enhancing fun and laughter along the way. Enjoy!

Click here to check out all our bridesmaids dresses and gifts, then find your favourites at your nearest wed2b store. Here’s what to expect when you visit, too. For more bridesmaids' inspiration, check out our real brides' stories too, as well as our Instagram, Facebook or TikTok accounts.