Bridesmaids or nah??

Nope, totally fine.

View Quoted Comment Any advice on how to do this without hurting anyone's feelings that expect me to ask them?

I think that’s fine. Especially because he’s only having two

View Quoted Comment Any suggestions for how to deal with the inevitable upset people that expect me to ask them?

View Quoted Comment

There's no way to not hurt someone's feelings who has already set expectations for themselves. You shouldn't make decisions regarding your wedding party based on someone else's feelings though. They're entitled to their feelings, but they will get over it.

You are definitely not required to have anyone in your wedding that you don't want to. In fact, I would strongly urge you not to have someone that you don't want in your wedding. I had a ton of drama related to my side of the wedding party. My husband wanted either 3 or 5 groomsmen. He had three people he 100% couldn't imagine his wedding without, but he also had two other friends he was in their weddings and really wanted in our wedding as well. Four wasn't an option as he couldn't pick between the two friends that would have made us have five. He also wanted even sides so we went with 5 since I knew he wanted to include all five. I definitely wish I would have gone with 3 instead because of all of the drama. We had 1 bride's man and 1 groomswoman which isn't traditional at all and I'm sure some guests thought was usual, but who cares it was our wedding. If I could do it again, I would have had one of my other guy friends as a bride's man instead of the one bridesmaids. While you might upset people they will get over it. You will learn quickly that everyone is going to have an opinion and that you can't please everyone. Do what makes you happy.

You don’t have to have anyone if that’s what you want. Unfortunately if people have expectations of being in your wedding and you choose not to ask them they may be hurt but that is not your fault that they expected it. It’s your day and you need to do what makes you happy

I would skip a bridal party all together and have your husbands two friends read during the the ceremony and/or give a toast during the reception. Even if people mean a lot to you friends or family, someone’s bound to disappoint you. I’ve been disappointed countless times throughout the process and the only reason I forgive them is because of my connection to them. But to be disappointment by people you don’t really care for like that would make it ten times worse!

I think it's easier to say, "I decided not to have an attendants," than to say, "I decided to have fifteen attendants, but you still didn't make the cut." I wouldn't worry about people's feelings being hurt.

View Quoted Comment 2dbride makes an excellent point!

Not strange at all. Recently people have taken to having groomsmen come down the aisle, rather than enter from a side aisle first, and wait at the altar with the groom.
Weddings I have seen where the bride has no BM, but there are groomsmen, it seems strange for them to come down the aisle. Better they wait at altar. Then , after the moms are seated, last thing before a procession unless mom and dad are escorting the bride, it is so great to have just bride and escort Dad, or just the bride, come down. That is my preference.