‘Grandmaids’ at Weddings Are Now a Popular Trend! Here’s What the New Family-Focused Tradition Entails
The term was coined after a recent bride asked her grandmother to be a part of her bridal party
More and more people are veering away from the idea of a “traditional wedding.” Instead, couples are personalizing their day as they see fit and that’s exactly what one bride did when she included her grandma as one of the members of her bridal party on the big day. Grandmaids at weddings are an emerging tradition and a wholesome one at that. Keep reading to learn more about grandmaids as part of wedding ceremonies and other ways people are bucking standard wedding practices to include more family members and friends.
What are grandmaids at weddings?
The term “grandmaid” was coined after former bride Bethany Johnston-Sweeney asked her 83-year-old grandmother, Ena Johnston, to be her bridesmaid. She shared a special relationship with her grandmother and wanted a special way to include her on the wedding day.
Johnston-Sweeney was adamant about asking her grandma to be a member of the wedding party, even after her family thought the older woman would struggle with the bridesmaid responsibilities and duties. She even came up with a cute proposal and asked her grandma to be a bridesmaid with a meaningful box that was filled with a picture, a friendship bracelet and prosecco.
While Johnston was honored, she was also shocked because she thought she was too old to be a bridesmaid, which is why Johnston-Sweeney gave her the term grandmaid instead.
Grandmaid duties are like regular bridesmaid duties
Johnston-Sweeney included her grandmother throughout the process leading up to the wedding and the day, going through the entire wedding planning process by her side.
“My grandma was with me the whole way — from viewing the first venue to helping me decide on the color scheme and choosing and finalizing my wedding dress. I wanted her input on everything because we’re so close, and I value her opinion,” she said in an interview with People.
According to the outlet, Johnston-Sweeney wanted her grandma to be comfortable in her “grandmaid” dress, so she let her and the other bridesmaids choose their dress styles and colors. The group landed on a blush and darker pink, and Johnston chose the latter.
Highlights of the wedding day were captured by videographer Chess at @floraliemoments and you can see that Johnston was present for all of it. In a TikTok highlighting tidbits of the wedding, she’s seen helping her granddaughter with her dress, posing for photos, dancing with other bridesmaids and doting on the newlyweds.
Watch the meaningful video below:
@floraliemoments The most glamorous grandmaid!!! 🥹🩷🌺🧡 Beth chose her 83 year old grandma Ena to be her grandmaid on her wedding day and I thought this was the sweetest thing ever. She looked amazing in her dress and smiled and danced the whole day! 🥹🫶🏼 Content creator – @floraliemoments Venue – stirk house #floraliemoments #weddingcontent #weddingcontentcreator #contentcreator #weddingphotographer #weddingvideographer #weddingphotos #weddingvideos #weddingcontentcreation #stirkhouse #stirkhousewedding #orangeandpinkwedding #emotionalwedding #lancashireweddingsuppliers #floralwedding #champagnetowers #bridetobe #bridetobe2024 #bridetobe2025 #weddingideas_brides #stirkhouseweddings #grandmaid #grandmabridesmaid #ceremonyideas #brideandgroom #weddingideas #lancashirewedding #lancashireweddings #lancashireweddingphotographer
Other non-traditional roles at weddings are becoming more popular
Nowadays, couples are giving traditional wedding roles to different people to incorporate more of their loved ones into the ceremony. The flower man, best woman or bridesman are a few gender-swapped roles that you might see at a wedding, along with a dance shared between the mother of the bride and her newly married daughter.
Instead of a flower girl, some couples have opted to have an adult man walk down the aisle with flowers or sometimes money if they want to make it a little more fun. Typically, they add in a dance or play a fun song while they’re walking, bringing the reception’s dance floor to the aisle to really kick off the celebrations.
Check out this video of a flower man:
When you’re at a wedding and an unexpected flower guy walks down the aisle
byu/goldenboy2191 inMadeMeSmile
Other non-traditional roles include gender-swapping the bridal party. Gone are the days when everyone with the bride is female and everyone with the groom is male. Some brides have included bridesmen in their party which is the male equivalent of a bridesmaid. Typically, it’s someone related or close to the bride. The same thing works on the man’s side. The groom may have a best woman instead of a best man standing beside him on the special day.
More non-traditional aspects of the wedding process – such as a joint bachelor and bachelorette party – are becoming more popular with time. The grooms are now often showing up to the bridal shower, planning and paying for the wedding is split between the families, and some brides are forgoing hair and makeup and doing both themselves – whatever you choose, weddings should be reflective of what matters to you!
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