Wedding party politics; a minefield for newlyweds-to-be

New research by One4all Gift Card has revealed that weddings can be a minefield for British couples, with one in four families squabbling over who should be in the wedding party.

However, on the flip side, one in three feel that weddings should be all about the bride and groom, including choosing the bridesmaids and groomsmen.

The survey of 750 married adults carried out by the Post Office gift card One4all found that relatives are most likely to make the cut, with 30 per cent opting to keep the wedding party in the family. However, 17 per cent said they made their choice based on who they were closest to at the time of the wedding, while just 7 per cent of those quizzed chose their bridesmaids and groomsmen based on who they had known the longest.

Rachel Delaney, group marketing manager at One4all Gift Cards, commented, "Planning a wedding should be one of the most exciting and fun times in a person's life, yet it seems that worrying about decisions such as who will be bridesmaid or groomsman is dampening that.

"Couples should be surrounded by the people they love the most on their wedding day - whether that's a sibling or a new friend, the most important thing is that they are happy with their choice, and that everyone is there to celebrate the happy couple."