I remember the days of DJ'ing weddings and the bride would have 2 to 3 bridesmaids and that was that... well... the average American wedding had FIVE bridesmaids in 2018, up from four in 2007. Part of the reason is that the median age for women to first marry is now 27, up from the 20 to 22 that dominated most of the 20th century, thus giving people more time to make more friends!