Picking your bridesmaids and groomsmen can sometimes be a stressful deal! You don’t want anyone to feel left out, sad, etc and of course, you have those timeless questions like “Does my future sister-in-law have to be a bridesmaid?” This can always be a delicate process when choosing your wedding party, but if you are opting in for a larger group of people, there are some definite tips and tricks on how to manage everyone, and how to remain stress-free at the same time!

TIP # 1 – Designate A Lead Bridesmaid & Groomsmen (Separate From Maid of Honor)

More than likely, your Maid-of-Honor and Best Man will already have their hands full, being your right hand man. They will be helping you manage more of the details, than the people themselves. I suggest picking a secondary, or lead manager that can help with communication for your larger bridal party, as well as ranging up everyone on the wedding day, so that people don’t scatter to the wind! Make sure this person can handle people in simple, easy-going fashion, and also doesn’t mind taking charge when needed. This can not only help the wedding planning, but also situations during your wedding day, when you will need a commanding voice to dictate where people should go, and what they should be doing.

TIP #2 – Don’t Feel the Need To Please Everyone

There is a delicate balance to being a “bridezilla” or a “push-over-bride” (sorry for the harsh terms, everyone!) Of course, you want your wedding day to be about you guys, but many of you, also want to take into consider what will make your wedding party happy, so that they will enjoy helping you plan all these hundreds of details. When it comes to hearing opinions from a large wedding party, make sure you don’t get bogged down with the thought that you need to make everyone happy. Chances are, someone in your group might not look the best in your wedding colors. They can gripe all they want, but don’t feel like you need to change every detail, to make people happy. Be respectful of course (see the article about Keeping Your Bridesmaids Happy) but remember that there are more important things to keep you occupied that your dress color.

TIP #3 – Have a Facebook Group

Having a single line of communication is a great way to avoid the “telephone game.” Facebook Groups are a great tool to utilize, because you only have to communicate things once, and watch as they are “seen” by everyone. It also is great for posting pictures of your ideas or inspiration, so people can comment or give their input, without you having to receive a dozen text messages all about the same thing! Plus, if someone in the large wedding party forgets a detail, you can outline everything on the group info and they can simply go back and check it, without bothering you!

TIP #4 – Be Decisive

When dealing with a large wedding party, it is important to maintain a firm decision on your wedding plans. I am not saying, don’t be flexible. But once you have come to a conclusion on something, don’t change it, and therefore have to make sure that everyone in your wedding party has to follow the new rule instead of the old one.

HORROR STORY: Last year, I had a bride change the color of her bridesmaids dresses and forgot to tell one of the girls (she had 15 bridesmaids.) Low and behold, she showed up with the old dress instead of the new one!!!  Needless to say, avoid a situation like this at all costs

>>See the Pro’s and Con’s of Letting Your Bridesmaids Pick Their Own Dresses

TIP #5 – Do Formal Portraits Before the Ceremony

This is a GREAT idea if you have a large wedding party. By the time your ceremony is done, many of you are just ready to kick back and party! You are all excited, the nerves are gone, and the reception is right around the corner…but oftentimes, you now have 1-2 hours of photography left before your big entrance. To avoid your large wedding party running out of “steam” I suggest doing the formal portraits before the ceremony. That way, you can get all of the standing and simple smiles done, so that all of the fun and emotional candids can be focused on in between the ceremony and the reception. Your wedding party will thank you, and you will love the freedom too!

TIP #6 – Keep it Light & Fun

As always, wedding planning can be stressful, but just remember that the most important detail of your wedding day, is the fact that you are being married to the love of your life. At the end of the day, your bridesmaids dresses do not matter. Large wedding parties are a recipe for a lot of fun times and laughter, so rejoice in this planning stage, pick people who will be great at supporting you when you need it, laughing with you when things go wrong, and loving you when you say “I do.” Keep everything fun, simple, and light and you will have a blast with your handling your large wedding party, guaranteed!

HELPFUL RESOURCES FOR YOU:

• 10 Cute Ideas for DIY Wedding Decor
• The Secrets Your Wedding Photographer Never Told You (But Always Wanted To!)
• 5 DIY Steps For Chic DIY Brooch Bouquet & Boutonnieres
• The Top Tips to Look Beautiful in Your Wedding Dress

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Traverse City Wedding photography by Lux Light Photography, captures beautiful and intimate portraits for your wedding, engagement, family, newborn, and boudoir photography session in all of northern Michigan, including Traverse City, Petoskey, Inn at Bay Harbor, Crystal Mountain, Homestead Resort, Bowers Harbor, Mission Table, Glen Arbor, and Charlevoix!

Lux Light Photography  |  luxlightphotography@gmail.com  |  231-633-9410  |  www.luxlightphotography.net

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