Junior Bridesmaids 101: Here's What You Need to Know About Having These Young Attendants in Your Wedding (2024)

Younger female relatives and friends who are too old to toss petals with the flower girls—and too young to join your bridesmaids for Champagne toasts and bachelorette parties—are perfect for the role of junior bridesmaid. This position lets you involve a sister, daughter, niece, or cousin (or other teen or tween you’re close to) in your pre-wedding celebrations and wedding day, honoring your relationship with her while adding a young, fresh perspective to your party.

But what exactly does being a junior bridesmaid entail? With your bridesmaids planning all of those 21-and-over pre-wedding activities and sipping bubbly with you while you get your hair and makeup done on the big day, is there really much left for a junior bridesmaid to do? The answer is yes! From who to ask to what they’ll be in charge of, here's everything you need to know about adding a junior bridesmaid to your wedding party, according to two wedding planners.

Junior Bridesmaid Definition and Age

A junior bridesmaid is a younger member of the wedding party who falls between the ages of a flower girl and bridesmaid—usually she’s between 10 and 15 years old, says event planner Kelly McWilliams. The ages are more of a guideline than a rule: You can ask girls who are older or younger, especially if you’d like to include a group of cousins or sisters who fall on both sides of the age range.

While junior bridesmaids often have a family relationship to the bride or groom—they’re younger sisters, nieces, or cousins—that’s not a requirement. “A junior bridesmaid can be anyone!” says McWilliams. “It’s a great way to include a family or group that hasn’t been represented in the wedding party. Maybe there is a family that you’re great friends with but it doesn’t make sense to have them as a bridesmaid or groomsmen, but [you can extend] that honor to their family through their daughter.”

Junior Bridesmaids' Pre-Wedding Roles and Responsibilities

Your junior bridesmaid may not be able to spearhead your bridal shower, coordinate a bachelorette party, or pay for your pre-wedding manicure, but she can be included in a variety of ways throughout the planning process. “Finding responsibilities for junior bridesmaids will help them feel included and a valued part of your bridal party. It will also create lifelong memories of this experience for them (and for you as well!),” says event planner Carina Van Son of Sinclair & Moore.

During your pre-wedding planning, she can provide input on her dress, help plan games and other details of the bridal shower, and join you for gown fittings or cake tastings. On the day of, says Van Son, ask her to be in charge of putting the bouquets in water, helping with the flower girls, or handing out programs. “It’s likely that your junior bridesmaid will be very honored with her role and take it very seriously,” says Van Son. “She might even be more focused than some of your 'maids!”

Pre-Wedding Events Typically Attended by Junior Bridesmaids

Your junior bridesmaid should participate in pre-wedding events, as long as they are appropriate for her age group. An afternoon luncheon and tea for your bridal shower? Bring her (and the flower girl) along for the fun! Your junior bridesmaid can help assemble favors, participate in games, and assist your bridesmaids with the cleanup when it’s over.

Attendance at your bachelorette party depends on the activities you have planned. If you’re putting together a weekend in Vegas or a day at a luxury spa, then your venues might prohibit guests under 18; if you’ve planned dinner and a concert, your junior bridesmaid might join you for the meal while still getting home for her curfew. You don’t need to change your plans to accommodate a teen or tween attendant, says McWilliams, but if part of your event is age-appropriate—and you feel comfortable having her join in with your friends—then you can invite her. “Overall, the goal for bridal events is to celebrate your upcoming wedding and marriage and the friendships you have with your ladies,” adds Van Son. “Any efforts to involve your junior bridesmaids will be an appreciated gesture.”

What a Junior Bridesmaid Wears at the Wedding

As a member of the bridal party, your junior bridesmaid should match the rest of the special people standing by your side. Many bridesmaid gown designers create coordinating gowns for younger attendants with options for age-appropriate lengths and necklines.

You may also consider having her stand out by putting your junior bridesmaid in a coordinating floral print or a slightly lighter color than the rest of your bridesmaids. She should carry a bouquet that is smaller than the bridesmaid bouquets, but within the same design aesthetic.

Who Pays for a Junior Bridesmaids' Dress?

The junior bridesmaids' parents are typically responsible for picking up the costs of her big-day attire—and that includes shelling out for any alterations. It isn't uncommon, however, for the bride to pay for her dress; it can be a nice gesture and a great way to thank younger attendants for taking part in your wedding. Either way, it's worth having a conversation with her parents so expectations on attire (including what she should wear and when it needs to be ordered by) are clearly set.

Junior Bridesmaids' Wedding-Day Roles and Responsibilities

Whether you require your junior bridesmaid to stay by your side for every moment of the wedding day—from the early morning hair appointment through hours of photos and until the very last dance—depends on your relationship, her age, and her interests, says McWilliams. Communicate with her and her family to make sure she’s included in the parts of your wedding she’s most eager to experience without turning her role into an exhausting chore.

Before the Ceremony

She should be in photos with the full wedding party, the flower girls, her family, and the couple, but doesn’t need to appear in every other group shot. It often makes sense logistically for her to share transportation with the bridal party, but some younger maids may have an easier time transitioning and resetting on a short car trip with their parents.

During the Ceremony

Unless your junior bridesmaid will walk behind you to hold your train, she should process down the aisle after the older bridesmaids but before the flower girls. She can walk by herself—“A junior bridesmaid doesn’t require an escort,” says McWilliams—or with a junior groomsman, older groomsman, or family member (like her father, uncle, grandfather, or brother).

As you’re all waiting to walk down the aisle, ask the junior bridesmaids to help the flower girls prepare. “Junior bridesmaids can and should be responsible for flower girls, making sure they’re in the right places, that they have their flowers or baskets,” says McWilliams. “At the altar, they should help the flower girls to their seats before standing in their place at the altar. If there isn’t room, they can also be seated with the flower girls.”

At the Reception

At the reception, give her a seat at a table where she’ll have the most fun (which might be with her younger cousins instead of your older friends.) “I always suggest seating them at dinner with whoever they would most enjoy sitting with,” says McWilliams. “I do not think that’s always going to be with the wedding party.”

How to Ask a Junior Bridesmaid to Be in Your Wedding

Get creative with an invitation to your wedding party and make the experience even more special for a junior bridesmaid. Take her out for lunch, a manicure, a coffee date, or another shared activity, suggests Van Son, or tweak the invitation you use for the rest of your bridesmaids. “They would also be thrilled to be invited in the same way you invited your bridesmaids,” she says. “For instance, if you curated a basket of things to ask your bridesmaids, replicating or making a similar age-adjusted gift is something they are sure to love.”

Do You Need to Have a Junior Bridesmaid in Your Wedding Party?

While including younger women in your bridal party is a great way to honor them and acknowledge the important role they play in your life, a junior bridesmaid isn’t a must-have. If there aren’t any special young women in your life who you’d like to include, don’t sweat it. On the other hand, if there's a younger gentleman in your life you'd rather include—go for it. The most important thing to remember is that it's your party, so include (or don't include) anyone you want.