It’s something couples have been doing for years, but according to a recent wedding trend report from Pinterest, more millennial brides are doing away with wedding parties.
In fact, the report notes, the site has seen a 100 per cent increase in search year-over-year on this topic specifically.
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“Couples are having smaller weddings in general, so it’s not a surprise that couples are deciding on smaller wedding parties or none at all,” says Rebecca Chan, owner and lead planner of Rebecca Chan Weddings & Events. “There are so many moving parts to a wedding already, with a smaller wedding party it’s one less thing to worry about.”
The report also found drip cakes are the new naked cakes (last year’s dessert trend), taco bars are growing in popularity, and people are searching terms like “pink” and “dusty rose” when it comes to décor and fashion.
Couples are also getting creative when it comes to saving money.
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Benefits of going wedding party-free
Anu Singh decided not to have a wedding party simply because she wanted her friends to enjoy the wedding.
“I wanted my friends to enjoy the day, just like we would, and not have them take part in arduous roles and responsibilities. Being part of a bridal party is expensive, and I didn’t want my friends to spend money on dresses or things that they will likely never use again,” she tells Global News.
The 29-year-old senior consultant from Toronto had a two-day celebration in November 2016, and says she saved up to $3,000 by going wedding party-free.
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Singh says she ensured her closest friends took part in all her wedding and pre-wedding celebrations, however, even though they weren’t given an official title.
“I made sure that those that were important were invited to all aspects of the pre-celebrations and gave them the option of not participating in any of them in case they decided it was too expensive.”
Other challenges of large wedding parties
Chan adds other challenges include bringing together different personalities and expecting everyone to get along.
And logistically speaking, you are also responsible for each member of the party.
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“You also need to account for their travel on the wedding day, makeup, hair and bouquets. The more people there are in the wedding party, the more challenging it gets!”
Some still love big wedding parties
But some still love the idea of big wedding parties, and for some cultures, it’s commonplace.
Arthi Velupillai, a 25-year-old real estate agent from Toronto had 32-person thick wedding party (16 on each side).
“There wasn’t any pressure but I didn’t want friends or family to feel left out,” she tells Global News.
Velupillai, who was married in August 2016, had a traditional Tamil wedding with more than 1,000 guests.
She says she and her husband bought all the outfits for their wedding party (which totaled $1,500), and members were expected to pay to have their outfits tailored and for their makeup services.
Who pays for the outfits?
And if you are expecting people in your bridal party to wear similar attire, Chan says consider how much money they’re spending.
“It’s a great gesture to help pay for your bridesmaids’ hair, makeup and/or their dresses. It can cost a lot of time and money to be a bridesmaid, and it goes a long way to show your appreciation.”
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