How Many Bridesmaids and Groomsmen Should You Have?

The average wedding has 4 to 6 bridesmaids and 4 to 6 groomsmen. The number isn't a rule, it's a reflection of two things: the size of the wedding (smaller weddings have smaller wedding parties) and the people you're closest to. There's no minimum, no maximum, and no requirement that the two sides match. Pick the people who matter, and the right number reveals itself.

The Quick Answer

These are averages, not rules. A 200-guest wedding with two bridesmaids and two groomsmen is fine. A 50-guest wedding with eight bridesmaids works too. The wedding size influences the number, but it doesn't dictate it.

The Rough Rule of Thumb

If you want a quick formula, here's one that works:

One bridesmaid (or groomsman) for every 25 to 30 guests, give or take.

So a 100-guest wedding lands at 4 per side, a 150-guest wedding at 5 to 6, a 200-guest wedding at 6 to 8. This isn't a law, but it scales naturally. Wedding parties that are way off this ratio (10 bridesmaids at a 40-guest wedding, or zero at a 250-guest one) tend to look unbalanced in photos and feel out of proportion at the altar.

Do the Two Sides Have to Match?

No. The convention used to be that both sides had equal numbers, but it's no longer expected. If the bride has 5 close friends and the groom has 3, that's exactly what the wedding party should reflect.

If uneven sides bother you visually, two solutions work well:

• Skip the symmetry at the altar. Have everyone stand on whichever side they belong to, even if one side has more people. The photos look authentic, not staged.
• Include "extra" people from one side on the other. If the groom is short two groomsmen, a sister or close friend from the bride's side can stand on the groom's side. Mixed-gender wedding parties are increasingly common and work beautifully.

The math doesn't have to balance. The relationships do.

What's a Reasonable Range?

Most weddings land somewhere in this range:

• Just a maid of honor and a best man. Two people total. Works at any wedding size, especially intimate ones. Photos are tight, choreography is simple, and you only have to coordinate two outfits.
• 3 to 4 per side. Common for mid-size weddings. Big enough for a real bachelor/bachelorette trip, small enough that you actually see each person on the wedding day.
• 5 to 6 per side. The sweet spot for larger weddings. Photographs well, gives you a solid getting-ready group, and balances the altar.
• 7+ per side. Big wedding parties. Common in larger family-centric weddings. Choreography gets harder (the processional alone takes 5 minutes), and costs scale up significantly.

What Each Person Actually Costs You (And Them)

Wedding party math has two cost columns. Be honest about both before locking the number.

Costs that fall on the couple

• Bouquets and boutonnières (per person)
• Hair and makeup, if you're covering it (per bridesmaid)
• Bridesmaid and groomsman gifts
• Larger group accommodations during getting-ready
• Bigger head table or wedding party transportation
• Bigger group photos (longer photographer time)

Costs that fall on each member of the wedding party

• The dress or suit (often $150 to $400)
• Shoes, accessories, alterations
• Hair and makeup if not covered
• Travel and accommodation
• Bridal shower or bachelor/bachelorette trip
• Bridal shower and wedding gifts

Realistically, being in a wedding party costs each person $500 to $2,000+ over the months leading up to the wedding. That's part of why "ask only the people who really want to be there" is the right approach. Asking out of obligation puts a financial burden on people who may not be in a position to take it on.

How to Decide Who to Ask

Before you finalize the number, draft a list of people who could be in your wedding party. Then run them through three filters:

1. Will this relationship matter in 5 years? Best friends, siblings, lifelong friends. Yes. The coworker you've been close with for 18 months. Probably not.
2. Do they live close to you, or far? Long-distance friends can absolutely be in the wedding party, but factor in travel cost and logistics.
3. Will you actually want them in every getting-ready photo, every dress fitting group chat, every planning detail? Wedding party isn't just the wedding day. It's months of involvement.

If the answer to all three is yes, ask them. If you hesitate on any of them, consider giving the person a different role (reading at the ceremony, signing the marriage license as a witness, handing out programs) instead.

Smaller Wedding Parties Are Trending

Couples are choosing smaller wedding parties more often than they did a decade ago, for three reasons:

• Cost. Both for the couple and for the wedding party themselves.
• Photographs. Smaller groups photograph better. Each person gets actual screen time.
• Day-of stress. Coordinating 12 people through hair, makeup, photos, and the processional is a logistical project. 4 people is a relaxed morning.

If you're undecided between 5 and 8, lean toward the smaller number. You'll regret keeping someone out less often than you'll regret a wedding party that became hard to manage.

Can You Have Zero Bridesmaids or Groomsmen?

Yes, completely. Many couples skip the wedding party entirely, especially at smaller or destination weddings. The ceremony goes from a 12-person processional to "the couple walks in together," which is faster, simpler, and increasingly common.

If you go this route, you can still honor close friends and family by giving them other roles: officiant, readers, ushers, the person who holds the rings, the witnesses on the marriage license. Recognition without obligation.

How the Wedding Party Number Affects Other Decisions

The number of bridesmaids and groomsmen ripples into a few other planning decisions.

Head table sizing

If you're doing a traditional head table, it has to fit the couple plus the wedding party. 6 bridesmaids and 6 groomsmen means a 14-seat head table, which is a long table and needs the right venue layout. See our guide on who sits at the head table at a wedding for the full setup.

Sweetheart table option

If your wedding party is large, many couples opt for a sweetheart table (just the couple) and let the wedding party sit at regular guest tables with their partners. This avoids the 16-seat head table problem. See who sits at the sweetheart table for details.

Processional choreography

A 12-person processional takes longer than a 4-person one. Brief the officiant and the musicians on timing.

Photography time

Group photos with a 14-person wedding party take 30 to 45 minutes. With 4 people, 10 minutes. Build it into the day-of timeline.

Common Mistakes

• Asking someone out of obligation. If you wouldn't be hurt to leave them out, leave them out. Wedding party is for your closest people, not for completeness.
• Forcing matched numbers. Equal sides aren't required. Pick the people who matter on each side, and let the count be what it is.
• Not factoring in cost for the wedding party. Asking 8 people to spend $1,500 each on dresses, shoes, and travel is a real ask. Consider it before extending the invitation.
• Asking too early. Don't ask people the day after you get engaged. Wait 2 to 3 months until you've decided on the wedding size and date.
• Forgetting the day-of logistics. A 14-person wedding party means 14 people getting hair and makeup, 14 outfits, 14 boutonnières and bouquets. Plan for it.

Quick Reference

• Average wedding party: 4 to 6 per side
• Rough rule: 1 wedding party member per 25 to 30 guests
• Sides don't have to match in number
• Mixed-gender wedding parties are perfectly fine
• Zero bridesmaids and groomsmen is a valid choice
• Pick people who'll matter in 5 years, not people you'd hate to leave out
• Each member of the wedding party spends $500 to $2,000+ on dress/suit, travel, and pre-wedding events

The right number of bridesmaids and groomsmen is the number that includes the people you'd genuinely want by your side that morning, no more and no less. Once you've decided, the rest of the wedding party logistics (head table sizing, processional order, photo timing) follows naturally. For the broader planning, our complete wedding planning timeline walks through when to ask, when to order outfits, and when each wedding party milestone happens. And when you're ready to build the seating chart with your wedding party included, MySeatPlan's drag-and-drop seating chart builder lets you see how the head or sweetheart table fits the rest of the room.