The (Infamous) Bridal Party

Here I am, sitting at work, I have a huge deadline looming and all I can thinking about it the pending nuptials.  Not stressing over it - just thinking about it.  Well, dreaming about it is more like it :)

Before I get into my rant of the day, THANK YOU to everyone that reads my blog!  A few of you have told me that you wish I blogged more often and that makes me so excited!  Maybe you can start paying me to blog and I'll make it my full time job?  I would guarantee more regular updates that way!

Moving on...

The Bridal Party.  Something that we have all thought about multiple times.  I remember, several times in my earlier years, having conversations with my girlfriends and saying, "If I was getting married tomorrow, my bridesmaids would be...".  The girls changed (for the most part) each time we had these discussions based on who we were hanging out with the most that week.  Leading up to our engagement, I thought I knew exactly who would make up my party... and then we got engaged... and then it was real... and here I am today... with no bridal party... yet.

You chose your bridal party and they:
* complain about the money they have to spend
* complain about the dress you make them wear
* complain about the time they have to put up with you
* complain about your color scheme
* complain (but are secretly grateful, I know it!)

You leave a few people out and they:
* complain about how they thought you were better friends
* complain about how you would be in their party
* complain about who you actually do pick
* complain (but are secretly relieved!)

Maybe I'm a little pessimistic about the whole scenario but I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings nor make them wear the ugly dress that I will inevitably pick out.  So I said to Fiance, "let's just pick one person each."  HA that didn't go over so well.  Apparently the groom's side doesn't have these sort of issues (or so he thinks).

So I did some research.

Source #1

The Wedding Party
During the "marriage by capture" era, close friends of the groom-to-be assisted him when he kidnapped the bride from her family. The first ushers and best men were more like a small army, fighting off the brides angry relatives as the groom rode away with her.

Bridesmaids and maids of honor became more common when weddings were planned. For several days before the marriage, a senior maid attended to the bride-to-be. This maid or matron of honor, as we know her today, ensured that the bridal wreath was made and helped the bride get dressed. All bridesmaids helped the bride decorate for the wedding feast.

For a long time, bridesmaids wore dresses much like the bride's gown, while ushers dressed in clothing that was similar to the groom's attire. This tradition began for protection against evil rather than for uniformity; if evil spirits or jealous suitors attempted to harm the newlyweds, they would be confused as to which two people were the bride and groom.

Source#2

A bridesmaid is typically a young woman, and often a close friend or sister. She attends to the bride on the day of a wedding or marriage ceremony. Traditionally, bridesmaids were chosen from unwed young women of marriageable age.

Often there is more than one bridesmaid: in modern times the bride chooses how many to ask. Historically, no person of status went out unattended, and the size of the retinue was closely calculated to be appropriate to the family's social status. Then, as now, a large group of bridesmaids provided an opportunity for showing off the family's social status and wealth.

Hmmmm interesting.  I like the "protection against evil" history but I'm still not convinced.  I would be fun to have my gaggle of girls around at all times but should I really make them all wear that dress?