Bridal Party - Other Ways to Honor Friends Beyond the Traditional Bridesmaid Role?

Q: I don't want to have a huge wedding party, but between my fiance and I we have four sisters, and I have a lot of close friends from college and highschool. What are some options to include important people in my life other than asking them to be a bridesmaid?
- Tricia -

A: When it comes to casting your wedding “VIPs” you have plenty of options beyond the traditional roles of bridesmaid or groomsmen. You could designate a few close friends as “honorary attendants.” Since the role isn’t an “official” role – you can make it entail whatever you want. Your honorary attendants can attend all showers and pre-parties; you can designate special seating for them at the front during the ceremony; you can give them a single flower or nosegay to carry at the ceremony to further set them apart (without giving them a full bouquet), and you can list their names in your program.

They’ll essentially have the role of bridesmaid – without standing and wearing matching bridesmaids dresses at the wedding.

Another option is to designate a specific role to each – one can be a reader at the ceremony, one a candle lighter, one a bell ringer, one a guest book attendant, etc.
-Cori Russell - style and etiquette editor