I think of attendants the same way I think of bridesmaids, except that it's a more PC term since sometimes men will stand on the bride's side during the ceremony.
I am completely opposed to unpaid labor and have never heard of that being something you ask someone to do, with it not being a hired professional.
@KnotPorscha - perhaps a nice spin on this article would be steering away from using gender identifying words like "bridesmaids" to "attendants" to be more inclusive of the evolving wedding party.
I think we also need to lose the "Bride and Groom" language that is so prevalant in the wedding industry and switch to "Couples". Not only to be more inclusive of same sex couples but to be more inclusive of grooms since they are generally marginalized during the planning process.
Re: Sound-off: Attendants or Bridesmaids?