Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles
available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. The bridesmaids
are members of the bride's wedding party in a wedding. A bridesmaid is
typically a young woman, and often a close friend or sister. She attends
to the bride on the day of a wedding or marriage ceremony.
Traditionally, bridesmaids were chosen from unwed young women of
marriageable age. The principal bridesmaid, if one is so designated, may
be called the chief bridesmaid or maid of honor if she is unmarried, or
the matron of honor if she is married. A junior bridesmaid is a girl who
is clearly too young to be marriageable, but who is included as an
honorary bridesmaid. Often there is more than one bridesmaid: in modern
times the bride chooses how many to ask. Historically, no person of
status went out unattended, and the size of the retinue was closely
calculated to be appropriate to the family's social status. Then, as
now, a large group of bridesmaids provided an opportunity for showing
off the family's social status and wealth.
