How to Pick Your Bridesmaids

Did you know in Roman times bridesmaids were originally included in wedding ceremonies to confuse evil spirits as to which young lass was actually becoming a Mrs.?

Let's start with the must-haves in your retinue: family. Whether you make your sister your maid of honor is really up to you, but unless little sister did something much worse than ruin your favorite Delia's top in seventh grade, stick her in the lineup. As a corollary, unless you're marrying a child of the Duggars and have 25 future-sisters-in-law to contend with, it's safe to assume that all of your fiance's sisters should also automatically get the bid.

You want to be surrounded by people who understand you and who will make you the best version of yourself once you walk down that aisle. The best bridesmaids can help you wiggle into your dress, keep you from bursting into tears and apply expert lip gloss while still recording everything for posterity on their iPhones.You can pick one friend from each stage of your life (high school, college, work, etc), you can limit it just to family members. But as someone who has been through this process and survived, I can offer this sage advice: Pick who will make you the happiest on your big day.