In praise of the bridesdude

When my friend Dale stood up for me at my wedding, we referred to him as the bridesdude, which seemed more amusing and less formal than the plain vanilla "attendant." Little did we realize we were trendsetters, but today's WSJ article, "The Best Woman And Dude of Honor Join Wedding Parties," makes us seem positively cutting-edge.

For example:

TheKnot.com, a wedding-planning Web site, estimates that 9% of engaged couples are considering opposite-sex attendants, up from just a trickle a few years ago.

Nine percent still seems low, but whatever. I like this trend and hope it continues.

The amusing quote:

A woman's choice of a male attendant also "tells you who's running things," says Lisa Diane Adams, a senior planning consultant at Sand Castles Wedding Planners in Phoenix. The bride, she says, is subconsciously telling her husband: "These people were here before you and they'll be here after you." Brides in their thirties are particularly picky, she says.

As a child bride of 28, I probably would have told you there's no direct correlation between pickiness and age. And I also love the intimation that a man on the bride's side of the party is indirectly threatening the role (or possibly the masculinity) of the husband. How quaint!

Comments

[Elizabeth]

My only attendent is a man, and I think I always had it planned that way. I'm glad it's a trend that gaining in popularity, though the article does make it seem like it's a power struggle move.