Attendants? What attendants?

So, just about the only decision we've made so far is to not have attendants stand up with us. We will be asking the people who would have been our "bridesmaids" to have a meaningful part of our ceremony or reception instead of just standing there looking silly. :) This solves a lot of problems and some not so much problems as inconsistencies. We would have had uneven numbers standing on each of our sides as I tend to have more people I would consider being a part of my wedding than Bride2. Also, we would have to figure out what they could wear, who would stand where, who would be the "of honor" attendants, etc etc etc. And we have guys and girls we would like to honor, so would we do that on each side, or all the guys on one side, etc etc. Not to mention, I feel like the reading given by one of the non-attendants at a recent wedding was more intimate and involved than me standing there in a dress. All in all it will be cheaper for our attendants, and i'm still anti-traditional, in that i think it's unfair to ask your best friends to pay to be in your wedding. We haven't decided on a final list of non-standing attendants, or what their specific jobs will be, but as this totally eliminates bridesmaid dress shopping, I'm delighted with the first decision we've made.