Ask an Editor | Second Wedding Bridal Party

Q: My boyfriend and I are thinking about getting married (it will be my second marriage, but his first). Is it okay to have a few of the same bridal party members in this wedding as in my first, or should I go with a whole new group? I would feel foolish asking my friend to be my maid of honor for the second time, but I feel there really isn't anyone else to take her place. I am not close enough to my boyfriend’s side of the family to ask one of them. Please help.

A: It's not unheard of to include members of a first bridal party in a second wedding, especially when it comes to lifetime friends, though it's something you should discuss very openly and honestly with each of the friends you hope to include again. Some may be comfortable and honored, others may be equally honored but unable to participate. You may also want to talk with them about ways to make it a unique experience and find an approach that perhaps makes it easier on their budgets (e.g. consider dresses that are more personal to each maid's style--a trend many brides are considering--so that their friends are likely to use the dresses again).

For more great ideas like this, check out our new Spring/Summer 2009 issue of Mpls.St.Paul Weddings.