only half a wedding party

Saralou427

My "to-be" and I are planning a private ceremony with just our parents, he doesnt want a wedding party, but I want my 2 best friends, my sister and 2 sister in-laws to be involved and be my "bridesmaids". How do I have them invovled with out having them be at the ceremony?

Viczaesar

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_wedding-party_only-half-a-wedding-party?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:37Discussion:df9180e0-4d10-4abc-8fe1-c96d092316e1Post:f62fc85c-3bcc-4404-b0a8-21484ec7e22a">only half a wedding party</a>:
[QUOTE]My "to-be" and I are planning a private ceremony with just our parents, he doesnt want a wedding party, but I want my 2 best friends, my sister and 2 sister in-laws to be involved and be my "bridesmaids". How do I have them invovled with out having them be at the ceremony?
Posted by Saralou427[/QUOTE]
You don't.  The wedding party only has a role at the ceremony.  You can't have bridesmaids and not invite them to the ceremony.

aerinpegadrak

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_wedding-party_only-half-a-wedding-party?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:37Discussion:df9180e0-4d10-4abc-8fe1-c96d092316e1Post:f62fc85c-3bcc-4404-b0a8-21484ec7e22a">only half a wedding party</a>:
[QUOTE]My "to-be" and I are planning a private ceremony with just our parents, he doesnt want a wedding party, but I want my 2 best friends, my sister and 2 sister in-laws to be involved and be my "bridesmaids". How do I have them invovled with out having them be at the ceremony?
Posted by Saralou427[/QUOTE]
Bridesmaid is a ceremonial position, meaning their duties begin and end with the ceremony.  If you're not inviting them to the ceremony, then they're not bridesmaids.

Summer2011Bride

Can you compromise and have an intimate ceremony with both sets of parents but also have a small WP for you? That is still small enough that it would be fine to have that amount of people at the ceremony and then a larger reception after, if that's what you were planning.

ETA: Especially since 3 of the girls you want in your WP are immediate family (your sister and FI's sisters). Really the only people outside of immediate family that would be there are your two close friends.