Junior Bridesmaids

rbrumley88 · October 2010

Hello!

Can someone give me the low down on junior bridesmaids? I have never been one and I am not sure where they go in the ceremony. Thanks for the help!

mgietler76 · October 2010

The same place as the rest of your bridesmaids? I personally don't understand the difference in titles and as such think they should all be BM's and not a ranking system or age thing.

lalap69 · October 2010

They're exactly the same as regular bridesmaids. I don't actually see the point in calling them juniors.

LesPaul · October 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_customs-traditions_junior-bridesmaids?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:36Discussion:ece811af-962a-4a88-99e1-34f65e4409c6Post:da8e4206-11d5-4d74-835c-bea7df1c5890">Re: Junior Bridesmaids</a>:
[QUOTE]They're exactly the same as regular bridesmaids. I don't actually see the point in calling them juniors.
Posted by lalap69[/QUOTE]

This exactly.

MyNameIsNot · October 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_customs-traditions_junior-bridesmaids?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:36Discussion:ece811af-962a-4a88-99e1-34f65e4409c6Post:d6936b26-006f-4d90-ac0e-674bb6990546">Re: Junior Bridesmaids</a>:
[QUOTE]One thing about Jr. BM is that they are not (at least should not be) expected to contribute to planning/paying for pre-wedding parties for the bride.
Posted by mysticl[/QUOTE]

<div>No one should be. Pre-wedding parties are totally optional. If any BM chooses to contribute, that is her choice. </div>

aerinpegadrak · October 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_customs-traditions_junior-bridesmaids?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:36Discussion:ece811af-962a-4a88-99e1-34f65e4409c6Post:cb27e491-5693-49e6-b3bc-e9d95b5cc4c5">Re: Junior Bridesmaids</a>:
[QUOTE]Do they have to walk with a partner?
Posted by rbrumley88[/QUOTE]
Entirely up to you. It wouldn't be inappropriate for them to walk with one of the adult groomsmen, if that's what you're worried about. There's no wrong way to do the processional and recessional as long as no one is made uncomfortable (so no exes walking together) and everyone gets in and out in a timely and orderly fashion.

lalap69 · October 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_customs-traditions_junior-bridesmaids?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:36Discussion:ece811af-962a-4a88-99e1-34f65e4409c6Post:d6936b26-006f-4d90-ac0e-674bb6990546">Re: Junior Bridesmaids</a>:
[QUOTE]One thing about Jr. BM is that they are not (at least should not be) expected to contribute to planning/paying for pre-wedding parties for the bride.
Posted by mysticl[/QUOTE]
Neither are adult BMs, so that's not much of a distinction. No BMs have to plan or pay for parties for the bride. They can choose to, but it's not a requirement.

mysticl · October 2010

What I meant by the statement about Jr. BM not being expected to plan or contribute to the pre-wedding parties is that if the BMs are deciding to host these parties they should not be contacting the Jr. BMs to contribute to the events.

When I was a Jr. BM I walked with a GM (not a jr. one). My Jr. BM will be walking with each other.

redheadtmk · October 2010

the distinction of junior bridesmaid is what misticl said. they do not contribute to pre wedding showers, bachelorette parties, and are usually not part of the other fun stuff like dress shopping, or the tedious stuff like stuffing and addressing invitation envelopes. none of that stuff is mandatory as stated but is quite common. i would say 14 is the cut off for junior but i dont think it is a big deal either way

SuMmErKuTiE · October 2010

I had a Jr. BM and it was because of her age. She stood up at the front with the rest of the BM's and was in all the pictures and had an entrance into the reception, she just wore a slightly different dress than the rest of the BM's that was more age appropriate for her. My BM's wore strapless gowns, and my Jr. BM and FG wore matching gowns of the same color but with straps since their mothers didn't want them in strapless gowns for obvious reasons.

deb84 · October 2010

They are essentially bridesmaids. I am having two Junior Bridesmaids ages 11 & 13 and a Junior Groomsman age 10 (at the time of the wedding). I see everyone's point about it being kind of silly to call them junior but in my personal opinion they are JUNIOR. They are the only members of my wedding party besides the flower girls who are children. The next youngest will be 21 at the time of the wedding. It is a personal decision what to call them and as long as they and the B & G are happy with it it is no one else's business. For the most part just treat them like bridesmaids. I am having mine walk first down the aisle and stand with the bridesmaids. They will be involved in dress shopping (although of course their mother's will have to approve their dresses because of their age).

beamer84 · October 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_customs-traditions_junior-bridesmaids?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:36Discussion:ece811af-962a-4a88-99e1-34f65e4409c6Post:76404b17-37f0-4edb-b755-76871eb611ce">Re: Junior Bridesmaids</a>:
[QUOTE]They are bridesmaids, but younger. They do the exact same thing bridesmaids do: stand there in the dress and look nice, smile for pictures. Depending on their age, they may need an age appropriate dress. You have to be careful with this title, though. While a 9 year old would probably like to be called a junior BM, a 14 year old might be really put off at being called a junior anything. It makes it sound like you are calling her a little kid, at a time when she is struggling to identify herself as a young adult. For this reason, I think it's much smarter to just call them all bridesmaids. They are all doing the same thing, afterall.
Posted by MyNameIsNot[/QUOTE]

This exactly. I had a junior BM (my 11-year-old cousin). Her dress was cut a little bit differently than the BMs' dresses (the designer had an age-appropriate version of the dress I picked). She had a slightly smaller bouquet than the BMs (yay cost savings!). She also did not attend the bachelorette party or come to my house for a late-night get together with my BMs the night before the wedding. She was not in a few of the WP pictures. She sat with her parents at the reception instead of at my "head table." She did everything else exactly as the other BMs did.

(head table was in quotes, as I had 3 tables at the head of the room in order to allow the WP to sit with their dates)

ETA: My junior BM walked alone, and she was the first one in my processional (we didn't have a fg or rb).

clearheavens · October 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_customs-traditions_junior-bridesmaids?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:36Discussion:ece811af-962a-4a88-99e1-34f65e4409c6Post:ac44b015-1f60-474c-b83a-058c107c847a">Re: Junior Bridesmaids</a>:
[QUOTE]I was a junior BM when I was 9 and was over-the-moon excited. My little sister was the flower girl, and I got the "grown up" job. I wore an age-appropriate version of the BM dress, but otherwise did the same thing as the other BMs. At that same wedding, my 15 year-old-cousin was MOH and wore the same dress as the other BMs. I think it is a good title for older girls (say 8-11) you want to include, but who are either too old to be flower girls or where there are younger girls to include as flower girls. At some point, a young teen is going to feel insulted if you call in a junior, and is probably going to want to wear the same dress as the older girls. <strong>Junior BMs are only necessary if there are girls you want to include who fit into this (admittedly narrow) category.</strong>
Posted by bibliophile2010[/QUOTE]

<div>I agree with this, that unless you <em>really</em> want a 7-11 yo girl to be in your wedding party, you should do without junior bridesmaids. I'm having a few junior bridesmaids because I couldn't imagine my sisters, who are still in grade school, not being my bridesmaids.</div>

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