Brides From These States Have “Mega-Sized” Bridal Parties

Have you ever been to a wedding with a lot of bridesmaids? If so, new data suggests there's a good chance it took place in the South. The team over at Weddington Way did the math and discovered which U.S. states have the highest numbers of bridesmaids per wedding. Turns out, brides in Southern states tend to have more bridesmaids than those in other states. Sometimes, a lot more. How many is "more," you ask? A wedding party in the U.S. averages 4.39 bridesmaids. But weddings in cities like Birmingham, New Orleans, Charleston, and Waco are 25% more likely to have seven or more bridesmaids! Charleston takes the (wedding) cake here, with an average of 5.01 bridesmaids per party (it may seem like a low average, but think of how many super-sized parties it creates). To put these stats in perspective, consider that only 13% of people in the U.S. say they have seven or more people in their bridal parties. And only 2% have bridal parties with nine or more people.

In short, the data indicates that the South is home to more so-called "mega-sized" bridal parties than any other region in the U.S. And brides from Louisiana, South Carolina, and Alabama are on a whole different level — not that there's anything wrong with that. There were only four non-Southern states in the top 10: Massachusetts, Illinois, California, and Delaware. So does the South just do everything bigger? The study stops short of offering any concrete explanation for the regional differences. But we think it's safe to say yes. You can read the full report on Weddington Way.