My Bridal Party

Everyone seems to know exactly who they want to be in their wedding party....so when the question is popped...one of the first things announced is who is in their bridal party....I was not one of those people. It took me over a month, agonizing who to announce as my final bridal party. In my heart I already knew who I wanted and who would be the perfect bridesmaids, but I was toying with the idea of having 6...0r 8......and if I chose 6, that means I would have to make a really hard decision of cutting two girls out....but I knew my first step was to finalize on a number...6 or 8. At first my Mom thought 8 was outrageous, and it was soo many.. Which it is...and I mean I had always envisioned 6 bridesmaids....so 6 seemed like the right number. Right?

After many conversations with Jeff, my mom, my wedding planner, some close friends....the number would change every week...then I decided to take a different approach, who do I truly want in my bridal party, and who can I envision being the perfect bridesmaids, and who do I want standing up there with me as I married Jeff?? My wedding planner and also Robyn, my big sister, gave me the same great advice, which I will give others, if you are having issues choosing then ask yourself a simple question.... "Will this girl be upset if they are not in your bridal party?" And if the answer is "Yes" then they should NOT be in your bridal party, because they are obviously not a true friend and would be more concerned with themselves then you on whats supposed to be "your" day. I was like wowww, that is amazing advice, because I had never thought of it that way. So with each girl I asked myself this question and 8 girls I immediately thought "no" and then there were a few more I was thinking of...and they were all "yes" ... The answer was simple...it was 8.....8 special girls that have in some way impacted my life and has influenced the person I am today. I know they will do anything for me on a drop of a hat and will be amazing, amazing bridesmaids. I also know that these 8 girls have always been there for me, and will always be there for me. I also know that these 8 girls have always had my back, and will always have my back. These girls are my best friends, my soul mates, and my loves. They've also been in support of Jeff and my relationship, and they've never had the jealously bug and just shared my happiness instead of try and dampen it.

After I made my final decision I created "Will you be my bridesmaid?" cards and sent them out on their way. And everyone's reactions when they received the card made me smile inside because I knew I had 100% made the right decision, and I felt silly stressing over it so much!

So 8 bridesmaids, and I couldn't be happier!

I love you Emily (My Maid of Honor!), Elisa, Tina, Katelyn, Meredith, Amanda, Robyn, and Berns!