The Unlikely Link Between Jet Lag and Alternative Bridal Parties
Meagan Dill
For some, the question of who will one day be their bridesmaids is a no-brainer – something along the lines of childhood best friend, university roommate, close colleague and sister tends to be a common pattern. And that’s because it works. In an ideal world, this would be the situation for everyone, but there are some who are not quite so lucky. Ladies and gentlemen, for your viewing pleasure, I hereby sacrifice details of my personal life as an example.
Most people in their 20-somethings (at least the ones I know) are starting to relocate to different cities for the first time for work, or they might be making a second big move if they went to university outside of their hometown. Me? Let’s just say in my less than three decades of life I’ve lived in four cities, at least two of which are virtually at opposite ends of the earth. Yep, I’ve moved around a lot.
It’s been pretty fun, what with all the fresh starts and exploring, but here’s the catch. I’m a naturally shy person, timid around groups of new people, and all of this moving around (sometimes by my own choice, sometimes not) has made it pretty damn tricky to constantly make new friends and hold on to the old ones when relocating.
My latest move, though, has by far been the biggest and most rewarding move of my life. I’m happier now than I’ve ever been, but I’m sure you see where I’m going with this – my good friends are scattered all over the place. There is literally nowhere in the world I could get married without there being at least a couple of key people missing, making it particularly difficult to put together a suitable bridal party.
So what does someone do in this situation? Luckily for me, there’s still quite some time before this becomes an actual issue, but it’s good to know that there are options. In fact, there are a bunch of things I could try before I might need to resort to hiring total strangers as stand-ins, even! Bonus.
The key with creative problem solving is to see the potential in everything and to set your own rules. I, for example, would be willing to sacrifice a symmetrical altar for the sake of including my best friend (second only to my significant other) in my bridal party, despite the fact that he just so happens to be, well, a he. In fact, I think I’d be inclined to appoint him as Man of Honour. I’m pretty certain he’s more likely than any of my girlfriends to tell me if a dress really isn’t the most flattering and promptly help me pick out a properly gorgeous one instead.
Nothing says a bride has to have a bridal party bigger than one, or even a bridal party at all if she should decide, instead, to have two wedding guests to sign as witnesses. Still, if I were to aspire to a larger bridal party, or if preferred to stick with ladies for more of a “gurl thang” vibe, family members might be a good option. Depending on where I was in the world, a sister, cousin, or aunt could step in, whether from my own family that of my ever so lucky one-day-hubby. Even if none of them know each other particularly well, it could turn out to be an excellent chance to bond.
Making the best of a difficult situation might seem impossible at first, but with just a little creative thinking, the solution can actually turn out so much better and more unique than a traditional approach might have done. Personally, I’m pretty into the idea of a Man of Honour. The more handsome men in suits standing with me at the altar, the better!
