Well the wedding party anyway. Right after we got engaged, Derek and I quickly decided on our wedding party. We knew that for our own sanity (not wanting to deal with the friend politics of putting a label on who our "best" friends are) and for the aesthetic we wanted for our wedding photos, a small wedding party was the best option for us. On our wedding day I will have my sister and cousin (who is like another sister) by my side.  Derek will have his two brothers by his. This was by far the easiest wedding decision we have made thus far, and I couldn't be more excited about keeping it in the family.

My bridal party will be like the photo below from my cousin's wedding, except this time I will be the one in white.

 Source: Stacia's Photography

A little history of the origins of the wedding party:

Historically, the wedding party was the group of gentlemen who helped the groom to capture his bride. The first usher and groomsmen job was to help the groom fight off the bride's attacking family. Later, women joined the party to assist the bride in decorating for her wedding feast and dressing for her wedding. Initially the women all wore the same attire as the bride because it was thought to create a protective circle around her. My, how times have changed...

Sources: 1, 2 & 3

 As most brides say, I want my bridesmaids to wear a dress that they will actually want to wear again, so I would like to go a less traditional route for my bridesmaid dresses. I love the mismatched bridesmaid trend, but I'm not really sure how I could pull that off with only two ladies.

Sources: 1, 2, 3 & 4

I also know that even though I am not having sixteen bridesmaids, I would still like my friends to be a part of our wedding in some creative way. Whether that means joining me to get ready or a pre-wedding photo shoot.

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Did you have a small wedding party? How did you incorporate all of the people who are important to you?