An alternative to a flower girl & ring bearer?

You don't actually need to have a flower girl or ring bearer - it is perfectly acceptable to have the best man hold onto the rings (sometimes the maid of honour will hang onto one) and for the bridesmaids to be first down the aisle.

You can also have more than 1 of each, although if you have a lot of nieces and nephews there will probably still be too many to include. If it helps, flower girls and ring bearers are traditionally between the ages of 2 and 8 (anyone younger will probably be happier with mum or dad and the position is considered too childish for anyone older).

My future SIL found herself in a similar predicament, except they were choosing between younger cousins. They ended up asking the children from one family (2 girls and 1 boy), as the couple regularly babysat them and had a very strong relationship with them. Is there one particular family that you have a strong bond with?

Ring Bearer Alternatives

Flower Girl Alternatives

The ten people you have in your wedding party are more than enough You only have a flower girl and/or ring bearer if you have special kids in your life you want to honor. If you have no special kids in your life, or you don't want to choose between all of them, you don't need a flower girl or ring bearer.

If you don't want a flower girl and/or a ring bearer, then just don't have them. Your wedding does not require them, and most people nowadays don't seem to have them anyway (I didn't).

I don't get why you think you need an alternative. Isn't that counter-intuitive to your desire to involve less people and have less to worry about?

It's perfectly fine to not have kids in the wedding, especially if you don't want to pick and choose. If you want to include them somehow, then make it a point to take a nice photo with the group, or maybe a quick shot with each kid.

Well you could have one ring bearer per ring and as many flower girls and jr flower girls as you want. Also you could assign some of the children to pass out the gifts for the guest at the reception. One of them could be assigned to set at the book to make sure all the guest sign in. Another could be the reciever of gifts. If you make them feel they have an important role,give them a small corsage or boutineer, and ask them to dress in the wedding colors then you might be able to make them all happy.

You're right to leave the kids out of the ceremony - if there are too many of them, it becomes a point of conflict you just don't need.

If you have a dog, they make great ring bearers. A groomsman or a bridesmaid, or even one of the older kids who wins a lottery could walk down the aisle.

Or the best man can just put the rings in his pocket.

Sometimes less is more. If this is bothering you, move on to something else. Some of the kids won't want to do it anyway.

You do not need to fill in ring bearer and flower girl with anything at all. You just don't have them. period. Many weddings just have bridesmaids and groomsmen.

If you have pets, you could let them walk up the isle with the rings! I have seen it done before and it is so cute! They make a little ring bearer pillow that straps right around a cat or dog!

You just don't have to have them - we didn't.