No, this isn’t about MOB dresses or how to get along with your mother-in-law. This is about when there’s a mom-to-be in the bridal party.

Once upon a time, such a situation would have been unheard of. Bridesmaids were expected to be unmarried and younger than the bride. Brides were expected not to know about the birds and the bees until mom clued them in just before it was too late and in vague, terrifying terms.

Now, though, the rules have changed. When I was married way back in 1993, I had five bridesmaids. Four of them were married. The other was twelve years old. Two were pregnant. Both were in the very early stages, so it didn’t affect the clothes, but I’ve sometimes wondered how I would have handled the situation if one of them had been further along.

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Now that the new year has arrived, flocks of women and men who have involved themselves in upcoming weddings are no doubt rushing out to get the appropriate clothing for the role. If dinky software companies can put their company logo on a t-shirt, so can you.

Have a most wonderful and fulfilling new year, everyone, whether you’re getting married or not!

Wondering how you can interest your ring bearer in his or her important role? Johanna from Quebec answers this conundrum on Frugalbride.com with a DIY idea that’s both inexpensive and easy. Take one stuffed toy of the sort that will most likely appeal to your RB, and create a custom collar that will keep your rings safe on their journey from the foot of the aisle to the base of the altar.

For a more formal affair, choose something classical from Steiff. If your nuptials will be casual in nature or you’re having a budget wedding, feel free to pick up something from the Dollar Store. Honestly, your RB probably won’t notice the difference.

My littlest brother was six when The Beard and I got hitched. I didn’t have a ring bearer because I think they’re kind of silly, what with the fake rings most carry, and furthermore, I doubted my bro would have much fun wearing a miniature suit for the day. As it turned out, he was run over by a car and stuck in a rolling chair during the whole wedding anyway. Now that he’s up and about and good as new, I don’t feel so bad about imagining him in short pants and a little velvet or satin jacket with a big bow collar.

Back in the day…by which I mean the Victorian day…little gentlemen were given the responsibility of holding the bride’s train. In the most formal of weddings, these boys would wear white silk hose, buckled shoes and matching hats. A Fashion Timeline has a few more interesting things to say about mini-men and their roles in Victorian weddings.

No fashionable Victorian bridal party was complete without small boys as pages. The pages were usually chosen from among the young brothers or nephews of the bride. They were one of the most picturesque features of the bridal group when quaintly dressed in little prince costumes or Lord Fauntleroy suits of white or pale tinted satin with collar and cuffs of lace and a sash of soft silk in a contrasting shade.

Getting my rambunctious younger brothing into a getup like that would have required stuffing him into it by force and then sewing him into it so he couldn’t escape. Even then, he probably would have found some way to cut it off. How did your ring bearer feel about suiting up for the day?

Raise your hand if you have a bridesmaid dress hanging in your closet? Raise both hands if you haven’t touched it in ages and probably won’t ever wear it again. I’m lucky…all of the dresses I’ve worn in other people’s weddings have seen a fair amount of use later on down the line. It’s a good thing, too, as I am not terribly crafty where clothing is concerned unless said craft involves jury rigging a one-time use garment.

If you’re craftier than I am (God help you if you’re less crafty) and you happen to have a very basic bridesmaid dress hanging in the back of your closet, Bridesmaid Revisited, an article that first appeared in Martha Stewart’s Blueprint, aims to help you alter said frock so it’s once again worthy of its allotted closet real estate.

Here is the skirt portion of the dress above after Martha’s people got their crafty little hands on it:

Check out the article for four more ways to spruce up an old bridesmaid dress with paints, lace, fringe, and other stuff you may or may not have lying about your domicile. Have any of you guys ever turned a blah dress into something worthy of oohs and ahhs? Show us your before and after pics…no sock monkeys, please.

A great deal has been written about the duties and obligations of members of the bridal party. Less, however, seems to have been written about handling them so they are still your friends once the birdseed and rose petals have been swept up and life returns to normal. Here are a few tips to help you be remembered as the best bride ever by your nearest and dearest.

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Once an engagement is announced and a date set, the burning question of bridal attendants must be decided. This is often a bone of contention in wedding planning. How many should you pick? Who should be Maid of Honor? Is your three year old cousin really too young to be a flower girl? What about your slightly awkward twelve-year-old niece whom you adore? Is there a role for her? Do you really have to have your snotty sister in the wedding party? Can you put your foot down and tell your intended that his friend who still thinks fake dog poo is hilarious cannot be Best Man?

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