How many bridesmaids...3 or 6, no in between!

Honestly? I'd say stick with the three you have and if you'd like your other 3 friends to be involved, see if they'd like to help you in another way...female ushers perhaps? x

I'd agree with the sticking with 3. I have 3 and is hard enough to keep them all happy and organised without having another 3 to deal with. ?

Why can't you decide hun? Is it cost?

I'd go for 6 but that's because I love doing bridal party photos with lots of people!

I had 6, so that gets my vote!

Thanks everyone. Cost would be a factor but if I had more I would maybe look at spending less on each dress, or maybe asking if they were prepared to pay for shoes for example.

Basically, I have four friends who I've been good friends with since secondary school. We have always stayed in touch, gone on holiday together, met up etc despite us all living in different parts of the country. Out of the four there is one who is my closest friend, who I've already asked. That leaves the other three, so either I ask all three or none of them.

Im just worried that six might look too much as we are Having a smallish wedding...well 80 people but that includes everyone...not sure if that is small or not lol.

Not too many at all. I had 65 guests at mine and it felt like loads.

I have 4 adults, 3 flowergirls, 2 page boys, 2 best men and 3 ushers. Be aware of the cost. You'll have flowers, hair, make up, shoes, accessories, thank you gift as well as the dress. If your budget can cope and your ready for it being a little bit stressful then I'd say go for it.

80 people is not small IMO and it won't look too much.

Lol I know. We are only invited immediate family and our closet friends but once I add in partners and children the number is greater than I thought!

My friend who I've already asked has emailed me to to say she would be happy to pay towards her dress...I haven't said anything about this she's just offered. I feel a bit bad asking her to do this though if I'm honest. Hmmmm what to do.

I suppose one way of looking at it is what would I do without thinking about it too much....problem is I've already thought about it too much so can't think haha!

It sounds to me like they're your besties & it would be wonderful to have them all hun. 80 isn't a small wedding at all & who cares what anyone thinks?! I'm having 8 adults, a 12 year old & my 2 year old as flower girl. I didn't want to have to chose between my friends but couldn't afford to have them all. They all knew this & I didn't even have to ask them to pay for their own dresses, they offered because they want to be part of my big day. I'm paying for shoes, hair accessories, flowers & hair do's.

Yes it would be great to have them all....I think I am leaning that way.

If I do though I wouldn't be able to afford to pay for everything, but it's how to go about asking for a little help that would worry me...I don't like doing things like that....any tips on how to go about this?

Are they all adults? You wouldn't have to have 'proper' bridesmaids desses, you could get a perfectly nice dress from the High Street which would be much cheaper. Same goes for shoes. You could have artificial flowers instead of real for their bouquets if you wanted to? Some artificial flowers look just as lovely as real ones. Or maybe get them a wrist corsage instead of a bouquet?

5 of my BM's were children and their parents offered to pay for their dresses as we had to bring the wedding forward, I couldn't have asked, I would have had to budget very carefully. If they do agree to contribute for anything themselves then you get into the tricky area of not really being able to have 100% choice over what they wear.

Five are adults and one is a child. I could maybe pay for the dresses and that way I wouldn't have the issues of feeling I couldn't have control over the choice, but ask if they would be ok to pay for their shoes? I'm not sure what I'm doing about hair and make up yet. My friend is making my jewellery as she makes bridal jewellery and accessories. And my OHs mum also makes jewellery so I could ask her to make the jewellery for the bridesmaids....

That sounds like a better solution, I'd mcuh rather choose my own shoes than have someone choose them for me and shoes are something that could be worn again so they wouldn't feel so put out at having to pay for them.

Double the jewellery up as their gift, no need to buy an extra gift that way.

Agree - definitely better to pay for dress over shoes. Plus shoes are quite difficult to buy. I have strange shaped feet and can't seem to walk in any kind of sandal or shoe which doesn't have ankle support without slipping out in each step.

Plus if you go for long dresses, you can't even see the shoes...

Think of all of you getting ready together in the morning and the laughs you will have x

I had 5 adult BMs, 1 child BM, & OH only had best man and my brother as an usher. It didn't look weird at all, I'll flash a group photo...

Oh and I bought the dresses, asked them if they could provide their own shoes and just said they had to be silver, as they all wanted different styles and different heel heights. Some bought new shoes and some wore ones they already had so it was up to them really! When I was a BM she bought my dress and my tiara and asked me to pay for shoes and pay for my hair xx

Go for it, if you want to have 6...have 6.

I'm having 4 adult BM's and FG (65 daytime guests).

Mine were from the Holly Willoughby collection at Very.co.uk, £69 each and I got to pay over 3 months interest free xx

Thank you for posting this, it really helps.

You even had the same colour scheme that I'm thinking of! Lovely photo!

Right I think you have all helped me a great deal...6 it is! 5 adults and 1 child.

Now I have to hope they all say yes!

This is a very good point...6 it is!

Aw have you asked them yet?! Any good friend won't mind buying shoes & accessories so don't worry about that bit x

Not yet...have decided to make my own 'will you be my bridesmaid' cards and post them