Alternative and gender-neutral wedding party names: adventure party, bridesmates, henchmen, and TONS more!

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alternative names for bridal parties
What the hell do we call all these awesome people!? (Photo by Poprock Photography)

With the rising popularity of gender-neutral wedding parties, and weddings without bridal parties, we need new terms for to the people who are helping you with all your wedding duties. We need alternative names for our wedding party  folks and attendants, because bridesmaids and groomsmen are just too limited! What happens when there's women on in a groom's party, or male bridal attendants? What about same sex weddings where neither spouse identifies as a bride? What about gender-neutral wedding attendant names for non-binary folks? We loves us some gender-blind wedding parties and nonbinary wedding attendants!

Here are a few of the creative alternative names for bridal parties that our readers and Tribesmaids have come up with:

We are having “I Do Crews” instead of bridesmaids/groomsmen/etc. We decided to be totally gender-neutral and focus on them as a collective group that has helped each of us as individuals. –Mo

There were a wide variety of thoughts that played into our decision to have an “adventuring party” rather than the traditional set of bridesmaids and groomsmen. First, that particular paradigm didn't shout FUN in the way that an Adventuring Party did. -Geoff

“We had a “Pew Crew” since our wedding was in a church.” -Donteatmenooo

We're having a Groom Squad and Bridespeeps, with men and women on both sides. –Gilly

My “maid of honor” is being called my “handmaiden.” The bridal party are “Friends of Honor.” –befuddledlife

I have a Brother of Honor and a Best Sister in the “stand up with us” roles, but I'm definitely think “Henchman” needs to be applied, perhaps liberally, to as many other “helpers” as possible. So awesome! –annarhoswen
Harbingers of wedding cheer.” –librobot

Because we are having a gender blind wedding party and one in which no one person is more or less important than the next one, we've been calling the group our “honor guard” and done away with the best titles. –daffogirl

My flowergirls are throwing leaves. I titled them “Ladies of the Leaf.” –elleluvsj

I've heard people use the collective terms “entourage” and “attendants.” Also, “Posse” and “bride's gang.” –ocelot
Bridesminions. It makes me feel like an evil villain. –bethany

While [our bridal party] were the traditional sexes for the roles, we didn't really think of them as matron of honour and best man, we really thought of them as co-conspirators. –lynn

Because my partner and I share our friends group so equally and aren't really significantly closer to some people more than others it would be weird to have friends pick sides. Instead we have “crew-mates.” (We asked them to be our crew mates with bottles of rum and personalized labels.) They'll be standing in a semi-circle around us instead of being on one side or the other. –Beth

Bridesmates and Groomsmates. – @bethany__claire

My male bridal party is called my Marital Squires. –bemyrecords

We went with “bridesbutler” for my male bridesmaid. –genevieve

We have an absolute shitload of people (20 total but they won't be standing up with us) and we're calling them The Committment Crew. –mcmullek

We have “bridesfolk” and “groomsfolk.”polkadotpeony

Serfs
?
Viziers?
The Nuptial Cabinet? (Assign each an office, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of State, etc.)
Parliament? (House of Lords, House of… er… Ladies, each with a Speaker)
Wu-Tang Clan? (Ruff Ryders, G-Unit, etc.) –hungrygrad

My fiance came up with the brilliant idea of calling our crew our “Matrimony Homies.” I was delighted by this and immediately requested ridiculous things like Matrimony Baloney, a Matrimony Pony, Matrimony Footlong Coney, etc. Anyway! This was a good way for us to incorporate both our bridesmaids/groomsmen as well as our officiant, who is a friend. -Anonymous

I knew someone who had all “Maid/Matrons of [Name]” because she didn't want her two besties fighting over who was the Maid of Honor. – Maribeth

I am stoked to be calling my pals the Bride’s Coven. – Jessica

Maid of Awesome (she really is). Best Band (we had several bands, but only one was there to stand up with the groom). Best Bouncer (he greeted guests and directed them to their tables). – Ragani

Queen's Guard and King's Court. – @pucksaplenty

We had our “best people”…Simple & also true. – @janecarnall

“Hitchin crew” or “support tribe”. – @deborahlilleycelebrant

At our wedding, we used “VIPs” and had mixed gender wedding parties! And the “person of honor” was VVIP – @me_hoy_minoyyy

What gender neutral (or alternative) titles did you use for your wedding party?


photography: Poprock Photography

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