Weddingbee Blog

Okay, and dudes, too!

(Hey, a barn! We had an accidentally rustic wedding!)

We had (what I think was) a really large wedding party. I liked the idea (in theory) of asking just a few people who were especially important to us, but it just so happened that we couldn’t think of any less than enough people to make up a small army. Still, how awesome to have such a troop stand beside you on one of the most meaningful days of your life!

… or, you know, sit beside you!

(Photo by Regis Photography)

While there were some minor downsides to such a large wedding party (gifts got really expensive by the time we were done, and do you have any idea how difficult it is to get thirteen people to stand in the same position for long enough to take one good picture with no one blinking? ;), I can’t imagine having done it any other way.

Mr. Spaniel asked his brother and five of his closest friends, who are all people I love dearly as well, to stand with him, while I asked three of my best friends, my two step-sisters, and my two (not-so-)little brothers to stand with me. We didn’t worry about “balance” or aesthetics (or where they would stand at the ceremony or how they would recess up the aisle—which, as it turns out, is probably a good thing to think about at some point before the rehearsal!) when deciding who to ask. I absolutely think this was right for us, for the following reason:

Younger Brother Spaniel and Middle Brother Spaniel

I love my brothers. Sure, Mr. Spaniel likes them, too, and they seem to think he’s just spiffy, but these are my people. If they’d spent all day with the groomsmen, I would have missed one of the most emotional moments of the day for me.

After my lovely bridesmaids helped me into my dress, my freshly-boutonniered and be-socked brothers came to join us for bridal party portraits. Seeing them in their tuxedos, all spiffed out for my wedding? It was all I could do to hold it together. It was the first of a few waves of incredibly strong emotion I felt that day: people will remind you, over and over again, to “be present” on your wedding day. I could NOT! But it was one of the powerful moments of the day that I doubt I will ever forget. A no-show vendor? A dress that doesn’t fit? Insignificant. Your little brothers in fancy tuxedos, all dressed up for your wedding, with eyes misting at their sister in the full bridal get-up? WHOA! You’re present. Even if it only lasts for a moment before the day starts rushing by you again.

All photos by the phenomenal Meg Perotti, unless otherwise noted.

Have you considered an uneven (or otherwise unorthodox!) wedding party? What were your reasons?

Miss anything?

• The Spaniels Are Married!
• Watching Paint Dry
• Vendor FAIL
• Putting Our Faces On
• Something New
• Boutonnieres and Tuxedos
• Sneaky Spaniel (The First Look)
• Something Borrowed, Something Blue