Choose your bridal party wisely.

In all honesty, selecting my bridal party was harder than I ever imagined. I felt that if certain people were included, it meant that I had to include others only out of guilt or technicality.  I wrote cute invitations and mailed them out to my 7 finalists after weeks of deciding. Two of them were not able to make it work with their jobs (understandable), one agreed, but made it seem like she was going to be a pain from the beginning, then finally my other four accepted with great joy.  Unfortunately, after only 2 years of being married, I only speak to 3 of the 4 girls. I spent so much time wanting the perfect number and not looking like I was bribing people to be in my bridal party.  I did not realize how unimportant it was and how silly it looks to have a massive bridal party to begin with.

Some weddings I feel like I could take a movie in while I am sending the bridal party down the aisle.  I always wonder how many of those friends will be there to help babysit when the couple has their first child? Life takes us different paths, and with each new beginning, there are changes within ourselves that help us grow and develop for what is next. 

 I notice younger brides in their early 20’s have bridal parties the size of a cheerleading squad, whilst brides in their early 30’s narrowed down their bridal party to the “ride or die” bitches of 2-4 people. Does this reflect on the stages of our lives at the time?  Of course! If I had gotten married fresh out of college, not only would I have already been divorced with the idiot, but my slut mob of so called friends at that time would be more interested in the groomsmen than my special day.

Marrying in my late 20’s gave me life experience to know that just because you were not my bridesmaid does not mean you are less of a part of my life, nor does being one mean that I expected you to stay forever.  It just gave me acceptance and perspective to accept that these 4 were chosen for a reason, and it was not to fill floorspace.  Whatever happens after that and yet to come, is just what life brings us.