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Rings, cake and a venue are just a few things couples might deem essential when planning the lead-up to their nuptials.<\/p>\n
But there\u2019s one \u2018traditional\u2019 wedding element that more and more brides-to-be are ditching \u2013 their posse of bridesmaids.<\/p>\n
Love Island\u2019s Olivia Attwood recently spoke about deciding not to have bridesmaids on her big day, stating: \u2018I was like, \u201cif I get everyone in, who would be expecting to be one?\u201d It was just going to be so many. I could buy ten dresses, or buy myself a piece of jewellery.\u2019<\/p>\n
And she\u2019s certainly not alone in this decision.<\/p>\n
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Despite having two sisters she\u2019s close with, 34-year-old Jacqs Taylor decided not to have any bridesmaids when she got married four years ago.<\/p>\n
\u2018I just don\u2019t like the bridesmaid tradition. I don\u2019t even like being a bridesmaid myself,\u2019 she tells Metro.<\/p>\n
\u2018I had a lot of pressure to have bridesmaids but I think I have been so independent my whole life that I felt I didn\u2019t need the bridesmaids.<\/p>\n
\u2018Also, in my opinion, I don\u2019t really know what a bridesmaid adds to a wedding.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018I organised my hen do myself too (a weekend in Barcelona, no \u201chen activities\u201d, just sunbathing, sightseeing and drinking in the bars).\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018I have no regrets about not having bridesmaids at all.\u2019<\/p>\n
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Katie Chodosh, from Surrey, also chose to ditch adult bridesmaids and simply had her four young nieces as flower girls \u2013 mainly to reduce the amount of stress when planning her big day.<\/p>\n
The 33-year-old, who works in PR, says: \u2018Children aren\u2019t as fussy about what they have to wear, and all of their parents were very happy to help with choosing the right size clothes and taking them to get appropriate shoes. <\/p>\n
\u2018I had also seen from other weddings that choosing adult bridesmaids can cause upset \u2013 it sometimes feels like a game of picking and parading who your best friends are out of them all, and that made me feel uncomfortable. <\/p>\n
\u2018I tried to be upfront with by friends about it and explained that I wanted one less thing to organise, and I felt that they understood. I guess I can\u2019t be completely sure, but I still stand by my decision.<\/p>\n
\u2018I\u2019m sure that there would have been more upset if I had handpicked a few\u00a0bridesmaids, rather than opting out completely.\u2019<\/p>\n
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Kate Greenhalgh, from Bolton, also didn\u2019t have bridesmaids for this very reason. <\/p>\n
The 44-year-old didn\u2019t want the pressure of selecting bridesmaids \u2013 so she came up with an alternative idea.<\/p>\n
\u2018I had a maid of honour and asked eight friends and family members to wear blue dresses to match. They decided to name themselves my Blue Belles,\u2019 Kate explains.<\/p>\n
\u2018Having been a bridesmaid myself several times and attended 12 weddings in the three years before our big day I either needed to have nine, or none. I opted for none, but saved them all seats along the aisle and they all rocked the blue brief. <\/p>\n
\u2018The included my five closest friends, cousin, god-daughter and step-sister. My other step-sister was my maid of honour.\u2019<\/p>\n