If you have close friends of all ages that you'd like to include in your wedding party, you may want to consider having junior bridesmaids and junior groomsmen. Just like your regular attendants, they'll stand up front with you and get their names in the wedding program, but what is the point of distinguishing certain attendants as juniors?

Junior attendants are the kids who are too old to be ring bearers and flower girls, but too young to participate the same way your older attendants will in the wedding process, usually age 10-15, or even up to 18. One reason you might give these kids a different title is to dress them differently. The same dresses that will flatter a mature woman tend to look silly on a young girl. It just makes it easier to pick clothes that will work for everyone.

The main reason for the distinction, though, would be the juniors' participation in pre-wedding events. You wouldn't expect a 14-year-old girl to help plan and pay for bridal showers, and you probably won't invite her to your bachelorette party, either. Except where inappropriate, try to include the younger members of your wedding party as much as you can to keep them from feeling left out -- after all, you chose to honor them this way because you enjoy having them by your side, right?