When Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce got married at Madison Square Garden this July, there wasn't a bridesmaid or groomsman in sight. Her brother Austin was her man of honor, his brother Jason was his best man, and that was the whole lineup, according to a statement from the couple's rep.
They're in good company. The average wedding party has shrunk to eight people, down from 10 in 2019, according to The Knot research cited by Axios, and plenty of couples are skipping the matching-outfit row altogether.
But fewer people standing up front doesn't mean fewer people who mattered. Your college roommate, your aunt who drove six hours, your partner's oldest friend: they all have something to say about you two.
The short answer: keep the lineup small and give every guest a moment of their own. Small jobs for close friends and a video guest book where anyone can leave a message make people feel part of the day, title or not.
Why Are Couples Skipping the Wedding Party?
Part of it is money. Being a wedding guest is already pricey (Axios points to a Zillow analysis putting one wedding plus a bachelor or bachelorette party at $2,010), and asking friends to buy a matching dress or suit on top of that is a big ask.
The other part is stress. Wedding planner KC Cloud told Brides that her clients who skip a bridal party tend to feel more relaxed, from planning all the way through the wedding day. And honestly, picking who's "in" and who's "out" is one of the hardest calls a couple makes. Someone always ends up feeling left out.
What Do You Lose Without a Wedding Party?
A wedding party gives your closest people a built-in role. They're in the getting-ready photos, they give the speeches, and everyone knows they matter to you.
Without that, it's easy for the friends who mean the most to blend into the crowd. The fix is giving them (and everyone else) other ways to show up for you.
Photography Credit: Danielle Towle
How Do You Make Every Guest Feel Included?
A few ideas we love:
Hand out small, real jobs. A reading at the ceremony, holding the rings, or a toast at the rehearsal dinner gives close friends a moment without the matching outfit.
Invite friends to get ready with you. Nobody needs a title to sip mimosas in the hotel suite that morning.
Seat your favorite people at your table. A head table full of friends instead of a formal wedding party is one of our favorite swaps.
Set up a video guest book. It's the one idea that reaches every single guest.
A Video Guest Book Gives Everyone a Turn
Picture the Voast booth set up near the bar with a little sign. Between dances, guests step up to the screen in twos and threes, read one of your questions, and start talking. Your best friend finally tells the story she would have saved for a maid of honor speech. Your grandpa gives the marriage advice he's been holding onto for 60 years.
Here's how it works. You pick up to six questions ahead of time (or use ours), guests answer each one in their own words, and they can preview and re-record before saving. The booth sets up in under five minutes, doesn't need an attendant, and you get every raw clip with no limit. See how it works for weddings.
As Katie B. told us after her wedding: "It will be a treasured memory to be able to look back at our wedding and see what our friends and family said."
Photography Credit: Brittany Brady
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it rude not to have a wedding party?
Not at all. More couples are going without one every year, and many keep just one person each, like a maid of honor and best man, the way Taylor and Travis did.
What can close friends do if they're not bridesmaids or groomsmen?
Give them a reading, a toast, a spot at your table, or an invite to get ready with you. Anything that says "you matter to us" works.
Do guests need to know what to say in a video guest book?
No. They answer questions you choose ahead of time, so every clip has a prompt. What they say back is totally up to them.
Give Every Guest a Moment
You don't need a lineup of eight to feel surrounded by the people you love. Give all of them a way to tell you how they feel.
Check your date, and when you're ready, BOOK NOW.
