There really can be a method behind that madness that is choosing just how many bridesmaids, groomsmen, and ushers you will need to pull off your big day and keep it looking balanced and harmonized.  If you’re wondering just how many people to put into your bridal party, here are some of the answers to the most commonly asked wedding party questions:

How many Bridesmaids can I Have?

Let’s start off by saying that this is your wedding, and you can do absolutely anything you want to o your special day.  You can have 10 bridesmaids, or you can have 0 – it’s really all up to you!

The average wedding tends to have any where from 3 to 6 bridesmaids, with 4 being the average number.  The groom usually then has the same number of groomsmen to balance out the equation.

What if there is an Imbalance in Numbers of Bridesmaids to Groomsmen (or Vice Versa)?

Though traditionally the number of bridesmaids matches the number of groomsmen, you can change it up a bit if you’d like.  For instance, one method that is becoming increasingly popular is having a 1:2 ratio of bridesmaids to groomsmen, or groomsmen to bridesmaids.  So let’s say you have 3 bridesmaids, and 6 groomsmen.  As they walk down the aisle, the bridesmaid can have one groomsman on her left side, and one on her right side.  While some brides will fret about her wedding party looking imbalanced as they stand and say their “I do’s”, no one at the wedding really cares at all!

TIP: If it is a big concern for you, you can kindly ask your sweetie to limit his groomsmen numbers and have the “extra groomsmen” be ushers or do something else special on your day, like read a special poem or speech for you both.

How Many Ushers should we have?

Again, you can have as many ushers as you would like, but the general rule is that you should assign one usher for every 45 to 50 guests that you will have in attendance.  Even the best of ushers won’t be able to command all of your guests or answer all of their questions about seating arrangements, so make sure that there are at least 2 or 3 ushers about to help guide and direct people to where they need to go.

How Many Family Members should be Included?

This is really all up to you, though typically the sisters or brothers are all included in some way.  For some brides and grooms, their brother or sister is an immediate choice for being a groomsmen or maid of honor.  You can either choose to include any other siblings in your wedding party.

Here’s the gray area:  what about step siblings?  If you are close to your step family and your step siblings, by all means include them just as if they were your blood relatives!  It’s a nice gesture to have your step siblings also be part of the wedding party.