Wedding Party Trends Couples Are Making Their Own

Gone are the days when wedding parties had to be perfectly even, perfectly matched and perfectly traditional. Today’s couples are choosing to create their own wedding party trends with the people they truly want standing beside them, whether that means three bridesmaids and seven groomsmen, a brother as the man of honor, a best woman or no formal wedding party at all.

While smaller wedding parties may be having a moment, Houston weddings prove there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Some couples are keeping their inner circle small, while others are happily filling the aisle with 10, 12 or even more of their favorite people.

The point? Forget the numbers and choose your people.

Continue scrolling for wedding party trends couples are making their own.

Uneven Is Absolutely Okay

Have five people you can’t imagine getting married without while your partner has three? Keep it that way! You don’t need to add extra attendants just for perfectly symmetrical photos.

Plenty of ways to make an uneven wedding party look intentional. Have attendants walk down the aisle individually, pair up different numbers, or switch up how everyone stands during the ceremony. Your photographer can get creative with portraits, too.

Besides, the best wedding photos aren’t always the perfectly symmetrical ones.

Bridesmaid Dresses Don’t Have to Match

Matching bridesmaid dresses will always have their place, but mixing things up can make your wedding-party style feel even more personal.

Think different silhouettes in the same shade, a mix of colors within one palette, varying fabrics or even prints paired with solids. We’re also seeing bridesmaids step away from the traditional “bridesmaid dress” altogether in favor of satin gowns, playful florals and dresses they’ll actually want to wear again.

Houston weddings are embracing the look, too, with bridal parties dressed in varying shades of pink and vibrant combinations of pink, orange and red.

The secret to making mismatched dresses look chic instead of chaotic? Give everyone a little direction. Choose a color palette, level of formality or overall aesthetic, then let each bridesmaid find a look that feels like her.

The result is cohesive without looking copy-and-paste.

Your Best Person Might Be Your Best Gal

Why should your closest relationship be determined by gender?

A bride’s closest attendant might be her brother or longtime male best friend. A groom’s most trusted person might be his sister. Enter the bridesman, man of honor, groomswoman and best woman, or simply “best person.”

Mixed-gender wedding parties give couples the freedom to choose roles based on the relationships that matter most instead of automatically dividing everyone into traditional sides.

And the titles? Those are up to you, too. “Wedding party,” “honor attendant,” “best person” or even a personalized name for your crew can work just as well.

At the end of the day, the title matters far less than the person standing beside you.

Keeping the Wedding Party Close

For some couples, making the wedding party their own means keeping it small.

One maid of honor. One best man. A sibling on each side. Or maybe nobody standing at the altar except the couple and officiant.

A smaller wedding party can mean fewer schedules to coordinate, fewer outfits to organize and a little less pre-wedding logistics. But keeping the official wedding party small doesn’t mean leaving your closest friends out of the fun.

Invite them to get ready with you, include them in the bachelor or bachelorette festivities, take special portraits together or ask them to give a reading or toast. They can still be part of those meaningful wedding-day moments without taking on all the responsibilities that come with being an attendant.

For couples craving a more intimate ceremony, a smaller wedding party can also keep the focus right where it belongs: on the two of you and the vows you’re about to make.

Or Go Big. Really Big.

Then there are the couples heading in exactly the opposite direction, and we’re here for that, too.

Maybe you’ve collected your closest friendships through childhood, college, work, family and every chapter in between. Narrowing that list down to three or four people might feel impossible.

Why choose four when your heart says 14?

A big wedding party brings its own kind of energy to the day. Getting-ready photos instantly become more fun, the walk down the aisle feels like a celebration of its own and those full-group portraits can be seriously stunning.

Of course, more people means more bouquets, attire, transportation and schedules to coordinate. But if looking around on your wedding morning and seeing all of your favorite people together makes you happy, go big.

Breaking the rules can mean adding more people, too.

Tradition Isn’t Out

With all this talk about breaking wedding-party rules, we have to say it: there’s absolutely nothing wrong with loving tradition.

Matching bridesmaid gowns can be elegant and beautiful. Equal numbers create gorgeous symmetry. A maid of honor opposite a best man can hold plenty of meaning. And a row of classic black tuxedos beside coordinating bridesmaid gowns will always feel distinctly bridal.

The difference is choosing those traditions because you genuinely love them, not because you feel like your wedding is supposed to look a certain way.

Keep the traditions that feel like you and leave the rest behind.

Wedding traditions once gave couples a pretty clear formula to follow. Now? Think of that formula more like a menu.

Keep what means something. Change what doesn’t. And add something completely new when it feels right.

Have seven bridesmaids and four groomsmen. Put your brother on the bride’s side. Ask your sister to be your best woman. Let everyone choose a different dress. Have one attendant or 15. Skip the wedding party altogether. Or embrace every beautiful bit of tradition. Because the people standing beside you aren’t there to create symmetry. They’re there because they’re your people.

“Wedding Party Trends Couples Are Making Their Own” Spotlight WiH Partners- Venues: Grand Galvez | The Astorian | Corinthian Houston | The Vault at Corinthian Houston | Brenner’s on the Bayou | The Tremont House | The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa | Rehearsal Dinner Venue: Willie G’s Seafood – Galveston | Cakes: Cakes by Gina | Susie’s Cakes | Stationery + Registry: Bering’s | Florals, Décor + Rentals: Plants N’ Petals | Getting Ready Venue: Hotel ICON | Lighting, Sound + Special Effects: Bright Star Productions | Wedding Bands: Deutsch Fine Jewelry | Grooms’ Suite + Guest Accommodations: The Laura Hotel, Autograph Collection | Live Painter: Rendered Moments | Bridal Nails: Milano Nail Spa The Heights | CVB: Visit Galveston

Contributing Photographers- Like a River – Kate Elizabeth Photography / Katy Grant Photography / Stephania Campos / Manuel Ayala Photography / Caleb Salazar Photography / Lily Cox Photography / Brit Floyd Weddings