Many half sisters

My half sisters won’t be my bridesmaids. I️n your situation your sisters asserted themselves in those roles without consulting you. You are allowed to tell them they aren’t bridesmaids. It’s your day and it goes your way. Rip the bandaid off and tell them straight up. Best of luck. 💕

It's an awkward conversation but I do feel like you need to sit down and talk with them and say that you do love them but you just decided for this wedding that you didn't want a large bridal party you wanted to keep it very intimate and you've already asked the ladies you like to be there by your side. Of course you can include them in pre-wedding events but they don't have to plan anything. I think it's a good idea that they can maybe be a part of the wedding procession like maybe they can enter together before the bridal party if they want to feel a little special. I will be honest with you it's going to be an awkward conversation and I don't know how they will react but sadly when it comes to events like weddings uncomfortable conversations have to be had. I just invited a friend to come see my maid of honor try on a dress because we're all friends and hadn't seen each other in a bit and she assumed that she was trying on a bridesmaid dress and I had to uncomfortably tell her in David's Bridal that I'm only having a maid of honor. Although realistically I never officially asked her to be a bridesmaid and I told her a couple of months back that I was not even having a full wedding and that only my friend who's my maid of honor was going to be in attendance with her husband in my older brother so that was a mistake on her into but I did feel bad at the time but it was an uncomfortable conversation I had to have you know?

I included my FHs sisters as bridesmaids because I thought I was supposed to. No sweat off my back they’re paying for their own dresses lol.


If you guys are funny or witty, have them be the flower girls. I love seeing grown adults as the flowers girls. It’s comedic relief
If this is a serious wedding just let them know

You could have each of them do a reading during the ceremony.

Also I forgot to mention there’s 5 half sisters

My brother wasn’t in the wedding party but I had him walk in the processional anyway

I think it was a mistake to have even one sister, because issues with the others were inevitable. And now you do need to have all of them. Bridesmaids do not need to do anything together until wedding time, unless you decide they should. Since you see them only a couple times a year, I assume they live a ways away. All this stuff of BM doing everything together as a group, dress shopping together for the bridal gown, getting ready in a group taking turns at pro hair and makeup, is all recently added, not at all traditional stuff, added on by TV and social media. Fads. If you want to have a more traditional wedding, you can have a few individuals help you with different things. They can do their own dresses for orders and fittings. Big group shopping is not fun. People can get ready at home or in hotel rooms, alone or in 2's and 3's. If they volunteer to do a shower, fine. If not someone else may, and they will be guests. But if you are not upset about them going down the aisle and standing with you, let them know that that is all you see the BP doing.
It is your choice. Ask / read on WW boards. At least half of Bridal Parties, some or all only want to get their dress, get ready themselves and show an hour early for pictures, and spend most time with their SO/dates. So since it seems to have happened and will cause trouble long term if you say no now, just focus on minimizing things the whole bridal party does together. Vacation with your friends and sister as regular people do, and request nothing or a 3 hour bachelorette with all. And what you do do with your half sisters, enjoy.

View Quoted Comment Thank you for your response. The sister I’m having in my wedding grew up in the same household as me, and though we now live 8 hours apart we talk almost daily. The sisters I wasn’t choosing grew up in different households. They currently live 5 minutes away and we never see each other nor talk. I want them to feel special and I know everyone says family first, but when I told them I was engaged they were instantly more excited about being bridesmaids than happy for me. I could let them walk down the aisle and really wouldn’t care. But I’d want to get ready with my small pod of three. Also I will then have 7 bridesmaids and my dance will have 3 men (not that I care that much about evening out numbers ) I just feel they honestly don’t deserve to be up there .... idk

My fiancé *

View Quoted Comment See my response below! Sorry not sure how this app works yet

The longer they go on thinking they’re bridesmaids the worse it will be. Just be honest and say as much as I love you it wasn’t my intentions to make you a bridesmaid and i apologize for the confusion

Love the special corsage idea!!! Before the bridal party walks down, usually is a song for parents, grandparents, etc to walk down. This may be nice for your half sisters to walk down at this time. I recommend letting them know you decided to keep the bridal party very small, you want a special part for each of them.
Depending on what you want, their age, and their unique talents, there are several special parts that are needed. For example, my sister is very social and was perfect to ensure each grandparent, godparent, etc. got their corsage. Off the top of my head, program greeters, readers, saying blessing at wedding dinner or rehearsal dinner, pass out bubbles or petal send off items, poem or song (if musical talents apply). Hope this helps!!!

I had a similar situation... I had a lot of friends I wanted to include in my wedding somehow, but I didn't want a huge bridal party. I only had 2 bridesmaids (my best friend and my sister-in-law) and I asked an additional 6 of my friends to be my "friends of honor" -- essentially I asked them all to pick a dress of their choice to match my color palette, they came early and got ready with the bridal party, I gave them the option to get their hair/makeup done if they wanted, we took photos together, and they were seated in a reserved row in the front for the ceremony. most of them traveled from out of town, so I didn't want to put any pressure on them but gave them the experience of being a bridesmaid minus any expectations! they all had a blast and I think everyone was appreciative of not having any responsibilities, but still feeling like part of the bridal party. I also asked a few additional friends to be readers, greeters, and hand out programs. hope this helps!

Maybe they can be your something blue?