Bride marries with 34 bridesmaids at her side

One of the hardest (and surprisingly most political) decisions that has to take place in the lead-up to a wedding is the choice of bridesmaids. For the bride to select a small group of their friends they're closest to without upsetting anyone... to say it's hard would be an understatement.

So, what do you do? Keep it small and focus on those that have been closest to you for the longest? Or include everyone? Or... you could do what Casme Carter did, and have 34 bridesmaids.

Casme, from New Orleans, had her perfect wedding on the beach of Destin, Florida on June 2. In preparation for the wedding, she invited 50 women to be a part of her bridesmaid squad, and while some of them couldn't make the big day, she still managed to land 34 of them.

According to the bride, she had made a lot of friends from participating in women's empowerment groups over the years, and decided to include as many as she could. In the end, she was joined by 28 friends, alongside her six sisters.

"I wanted them all to experience the love that they've seen that I've been praying for and wanting," she told CNN. "I wanted them to witness it first hand."

Her now-husband, Gary Carter, didn't take her request seriously at first - but quickly realised that she was set on the idea. "He thought I was joking but then he was like, 'If anybody can do it,'" she said. "He knows how I am and how many women are around me."

It wasn't just Gary who was surprised by the sheer number of bridesmaids who showed up on the big day, either. The women themselves didn't realise there would be 34 of them, a secret kept from them until the last minute by the bride-to-be.

Casme has revealed they were each broken up into group chats to discuss details - and were simply told to get neutral beach dresses, bathing suits and khakis.

"When they saw everybody they were like, 'Oh my God, Casme. This is so awesome!'" Carter explained. "Their time and their presence was a gift to me, just being there. Everything about this wedding was different. It was so amazing to have them all right beside me."

The couple got married only three months after getting engaged, but Casme had known for a long time that she had to get hitched on that beach. She had performed as a singer for at least 50 weddings in Destin, so knew it was exactly what she wanted.