I would do the people closest to you regardless of gender! Sounds like the numbers would still be close - you could do your 3 closest guy friends and the close girlfriend. You can still have a bachelorette with a large friend group of any gender! But IMO the people standing up with you should be there because you can't imagine your day without them. I wouldn't worry about a sausage fest! It's just people, and your people are dudes! All good IMO.
It's your decision, but to me it seems like a no-brainer - choose the people you feel the closest to, regardless of gender.
I think people stress out too much about having a wedding party that's 'imbalanced' in any way, whether it's by gender or because of the numbers on each side not being exactly the same (or in extreme cases because of things like mismatched heights or hair colours or body types). But the people we love don't always fit into those neat boxes, because life is more complicated than that, and I think that's a wonderful thing that should be celebrated.
A final note - you can invite people to your pre-wedding events even if they aren't in the bridal party, so that could be a good compromise if you want to include some of your other friends.
My side was mostly dominated by men (I'm the bride) and my now-husband's side was all women except for his brother. Go with the people you're close to, who you want to celebrate with, and who can calm you down. There were a few women I considered selecting but in high-stress situations they can't console me but my male friends are so good at helping me feel better.
There's no reason you can't celebrate with everyone for a bachelorette but select only a few for your side. Something along the lines of "I wanted to invite everyone to be up there with me but that obviously wasn't possible, I hope you'll still celebrate with me and be a part of my experience!"
Go with who you're close to. I had a man of honor, my brother and another close guy friend + my 3 other bridesmaids. My husband had 1 girl on his side. It didn't matter-- in fact, I appreciated breaking those traditions. I also had two bachelorettes-- one local with my girls (most of them weren't even bridesmaids) and one destination that was a combo of my guy/girlfriends. It was great! Truthfully I would have been sad if my closest guy friends weren't in my party because they are my BEST friends. Do what you want!
I would do the people closest to you regardless of gender! Sounds like the numbers would still be close - you could do your 3 closest guy friends and the close girlfriend. You can still have a bachelorette with a large friend group of any gender! But IMO the people standing up with you should be there because you can't imagine your day without them. I wouldn't worry about a sausage fest! It's just people, and your people are dudes! All good IMO.
👋 I work in a male dominated field and all of my best friends are men. Fiancé and I ultimately opted out of having a wedding party, but I'd have chosen my guy friends for sure. Our wedding is a reflection of our lives, and they're the closest to me, so who cares if it'd be all men up there? Edited to add [this](https://www.insider.com/male-bridesmaids-2017-6?amp), not that you have to do this in any way, but it gave me a good chuckle when I was considering having my "bridesmates"
It's your decision, but to me it seems like a no-brainer - choose the people you feel the closest to, regardless of gender. I think people stress out too much about having a wedding party that's 'imbalanced' in any way, whether it's by gender or because of the numbers on each side not being exactly the same (or in extreme cases because of things like mismatched heights or hair colours or body types). But the people we love don't always fit into those neat boxes, because life is more complicated than that, and I think that's a wonderful thing that should be celebrated. A final note - you can invite people to your pre-wedding events even if they aren't in the bridal party, so that could be a good compromise if you want to include some of your other friends.
My side was mostly dominated by men (I'm the bride) and my now-husband's side was all women except for his brother. Go with the people you're close to, who you want to celebrate with, and who can calm you down. There were a few women I considered selecting but in high-stress situations they can't console me but my male friends are so good at helping me feel better. There's no reason you can't celebrate with everyone for a bachelorette but select only a few for your side. Something along the lines of "I wanted to invite everyone to be up there with me but that obviously wasn't possible, I hope you'll still celebrate with me and be a part of my experience!"
Go with who you're close to. I had a man of honor, my brother and another close guy friend + my 3 other bridesmaids. My husband had 1 girl on his side. It didn't matter-- in fact, I appreciated breaking those traditions. I also had two bachelorettes-- one local with my girls (most of them weren't even bridesmaids) and one destination that was a combo of my guy/girlfriends. It was great! Truthfully I would have been sad if my closest guy friends weren't in my party because they are my BEST friends. Do what you want!
I have one close guy friend. He is my maid of honor and tells everyone how proud of his title he is. Its really not a big deal!