of those chosen to participate from her family or friends, while a "groom's party" consists of those from his family or friends. Bride: A woman about to be married. Bridegroom or Groom: A man about to be married. Marriage officiant: The person who officiates at the wedding, validating the wedding from a legal and/or religious standpoint. This person may be a civil celebrant, judge, justice of the peace, or a member of the clergy. In Hindu marriages, the marriage officiant is called a pandit or Brahmin. Best Man, Woman, or Person: The chief assistant to a bridegroom at a wedding, typically a sibling or friend of special significance in his life. Often holds the wedding rings until their exchange. Mothers of a Bride or Groom Fathers of a Bride or Groom Maid, Matron or Man of Honor: the title and position held by a bride's chief attendant, typically her closest friend or sibling. Bridesmaids: the female attendants to a bride. Males in this role may be called honor attendants or sometimes bridesmen, but that term has a different traditional meaning. Groomsmen or Ushers: The attendants, usually male, to a bridegroom in a wedding ceremony. Female attendants, such as a sister of the groom, are typically called honor attendants. Pages: Young attendants may carry a bride's train. In a formal wedding, the ring bearer is a special page that carries the rings down the aisle. The coin bearer is a similar page that marches on the wedding aisle to bring the wedding coins. Flower girls: In some traditions, one or more children carry bouquets or drop flower petals in front of a bride in the wedding procession. Wedding industry The global wedding industry was worth $300 billion as of 2016. The United States wedding industry alone was estimated to be worth $60 billion as of the same year. In the United States, the wedding industry employs over one million people throughout 600,000 businesses and grows 2% each year. The industry has undergone a transition due to the increased use of technology. Bridal websites, blogs, and social media accounts have driven spending up and created new trends and traditions. In 2016, the average cost of a wedding in the U.S. was estimated to be at $35,329, whereas the median cost of a wedding was around $14,399 that year. According to one scholarly study of American couples, extravagant spending on weddings is associated