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Jenna Bush had no less than 14 attendants at her wedding – referred to as the "house party" (those are their Lela rose dresses pictured above). So, what is a house party anyway? It's actually not the Texas term for bridesmaids. And it's not what typical teenagers do when mom and dad are out of town. It refers to any special friends who are not bridesmaids in the strictest sense of the word but who are selected to help with specific tasks on the wedding day. Traditionally, a bridesmaid's job is to tend to the needs of the bride, but there are at least a zillion other errands and tasks that crop up on the average wedding day, and the house party ladies are there to help. Members of the house party might be in charge of anything that needs doing, such last minute errands, calling guests to attention for the presentation of the new couple or cutting of the cake, making sure the top layer of cake is packaged up properly, or preparing snacks for the bride and groom to eat once they leave the reception. It's a great way to get close friends involved even if they're not official bridesmaids. And, because they typically do not have the financial obligations that bridesmaids have, it's a good way to honor and recognize a friend when you (or they) can't afford to have them as a bridesmaid.