Wedding season is well and truly upon us. Which means that, all over the country, brides and bridesmaids are preparing for the “big day” in earnest.

Naturally, it’s an undeniable honour to be asked to stand alongside your best friend on her wedding day. However, there’s no denying that it isn’t easy being a bridesmaid. There are questionable dresses and expensive hen parties to contend with, not to mention all the wedding planning, dress shopping excursions, pass-agg group chats on Whatsapp, and, y’know, hours and hours of DIY fun/torture.

Then again, it’s just as tricky for the bride to a) pick which of her closest pals have earned a spot in their wedding party, b) manage their expectations as to what that entails, and c) coax them into those all-important matching dresses.

And now a growing number of modern brides are forgoing bridesmaids all together.

11 brides explain why they chose to have a bridesmaid-free wedding