You might have heard of 27 Dresses but what about 34 bridesmaids? No, it’s not the name of your next favorite rom-com. A New Orleans bride enlisted them for her wedding.
For most people, weddings are joyous albeit stressful times. Perhaps the most difficult decisions involve the guest list and the bridal party. In fact, dated traditions, outspoken in-laws, and long-lost family members can throw any couple about to walk down the aisle for a spin. But sometimes the best thing they can do is follow their hearts.
And that’s just what Casme Carter did. Making national news for throwing all wedding customs out the window, Carter had 34 of her best friends as bridesmaids at her wedding. But she actually hoped for 50.
Casme tied the knot on June 2, 2019, in Florida, with six sisters and 28 friends by her side.
[fm_instagram url=”https://www.instagram.com/p/BzG5TqQBLeN/”]
She originally intended on having 50 bridesmaids, but a number of them couldn’t make it.
An army deployment prevented one woman from attending and 15 other potential bridesmaids were tied up with family.
When she first told her soon-to-be husband, he didn’t believe her.
[image_with_caption text=”Homeland Photography / Facebook” image=”https://itsblossom.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/homeland-photography.jpg”]
Gary Carter was just as surprised as everyone else.
They couldn’t imagine the wedding any other way.
[fm_instagram url=”https://www.instagram.com/p/ByTFZrBHsGz/” hidecaption=true]
As a traveling performer, her friendship net cast far and wide.
“Every lady was handpicked,” the blushing bride told Today. “I traveled for 18 years as a singer and made incredible friends along the way. I felt so loved and blessed to have them by my side.”
Everyone bonded, and it was beautiful.
[fm_instagram url=”https://www.instagram.com/p/ByTsL1-n8jY/”]
The bridal party, which included six maids of honor, ranged in age from 21 to 50.
And all the women became friends. “We had doctors and performers and lawyers, just a big assortment of different personalities and it was nothing but love,” she told Today. “My girls from Atlanta are now talking to my girls from Nashville on social media and it makes me so happy.” According to The Cut, before the wedding, the bridesmaids had no idea of the bridal party’s size since Casme separated everyone into different group chats.
She made everything as affordable as possible.
[fm_instagram url=”https://www.instagram.com/p/Byb2l9gHUM9/” hidecaption=true]
Weddings aren’t just expensive for the couple.
Bridesmaids can end up spendings hundreds on dresses, travel, gifts, and bachelorette parties. So after deciding on neutral tones for her bridesmaids, Casme asked everyone to wear muted tones of cream, beige, and brown to the ceremony. While most women were able to wear something they already owned (our budget senses are tingling!) others bought the $25 dress that Casme found on Amazon.
She also considered their travel plans.
[fm_instagram url=”https://www.instagram.com/p/Byc51S8nUeM/” hidecaption=true]
Despite having such a wide scope of friends, Casme made sure attending the service would be easy.
No one had to drive more than six hours to reach the destination. And the ceremony went off without a hitch.
Too many cooks may spoil the broth.
[fm_instagram url=”https://www.instagram.com/p/Byb3avmHlTp/” hidecaption=true]
But it turns out that 34 bridesmaids make for the perfect wedding.
As the women walked down the aisle, grooms escorted some while others strutted catwalk-style. It was a lot more fun than expected. “We had an acoustic guitar player and a saxophone going,” Carter mentioned. “I think people were worried it was going to take forever, but it didn’t.”
There’s no doubt that this thrifty, thoughtful, and beautiful bride could have pulled it off with 50 bridesmaids, but for 34 women, it was an unforgettable day.
