Although wedding is a life event that directly affects you and your spouse, many other people will be involved in the wedding reception and celebration. In fact, you can’t do it with just the two of you. Apart from the hired vendors, you will need a lot of assistance from your family and friends to make the wedding successful.
So what kind of roles do you need to recruit for your wedding. Here’s a list for you to go through.
Maid/Matron or Man of Honor
The maid or matron of honor is the bride’s right-hand woman. Also known as the bride’s honor attendant, this role is usually taken by the bride’s best friend or sister. If the bride’s closest person is male, whether a friend or a sibling, she may choose to have a man of honor. It’s the highest honor in a wedding event and comes with a important responsibilities. The maid/matron or man of honor helps the bride with all aspects of the wedding, from planning to selecting the bridesmaids’ dresses. In the lead-up towards the wedding day, they are responsible for things like attending dress fittings and planning the bachelorette party. During the day itself, they are there to offer emotional support to the bride as well as provide hands-on help with things like bustling the gown or affixing the veil.
Best Man
The best man is as important as the maid of honor and serves similar roles. The groom will usually choose his best friend or brother to fill up this role. This Best Man will stand by the groom’s side during the wedding and will also offer any support that’s needed throughout the day. This important person has a couple of core duties: plan the bachelor party, assist in making wedding arrangements and, maybe take good care of the rings until the wedding ceremony.
Bridesmaids
Bridesmaids are recruited from a group of close friends or relatives of the bride. While bridesmaids are normally women, it is common to have mixed-genders in this new era. This team takes an active role in the planning of the wedding. They are also expected to help the maid of honor plan the bridal shower and, in some circumstances, split the cost of this event. On the wedding day, the bridesmaids walk down the aisle ahead of the bride. Bridesmaids often take on other responsibilities as well to ensure a successfully organized wedding.
Groomsmen
The groomsmen are the bridesmaids’ counterparts, as such, they take on many of the same duties. They are usually close friends or relatives of the groom and will be involved in many of the tasks throughout the wedding planning. The groomsmen are there to support the groom in any way he may need.
Flower Girl
While it is not necessary to have a flower girl, this role will be a charming addition to any wedding event. Usually a niece, younger sibling or a family friend will be requested to fill up this role. The flower girl typically walks down the aisle with the bridesmaids, dropping petals as they go. She may also wear a flower headdress to mark her role in the occasion. Most couple will get more than one flower girl, just in case if any of them starts to get nervous or cranky.
Page
One of the different roles in a wedding that has become more popular recently is the pages. It is an assortment of boys and girls whose roles can range from carrying the bride’s train or signs announcing her arrival down the aisle. They can also accompany the adorable flower girls to walk down the aisle.
Ring Bearer
The Ring Bearer has only one duty for the day, but carries the most important of all, which is to carry the rings of the bride and groom down the aisle. Although you can appoint a specific member to take up this role, most of the time other team members can also fulfill this duty, for instance, the best man, the page boy, or the flower girl.
Mother of the Bride
The mother of the bride plays an integral role in the wedding day; and of course, only one person is eligible to carry this title. She will spend the entire wedding day with the bride and help her get ready to walk down the aisle.
Father of the Bride
The father of the bride usually have a few major tasks which is to walk the daughter down the aisle, give a speech at the wedding reception and participate in the father-daughter dance.
Mother of the Groom
The mother of the groom is there to lend support to the groom and be a host at the event, making effort to mingle with the guests and making sure everyone feels welcome. In some cases, she may also take part in planning the wedding and can give a speech as part of the wedding reception.
Father of the Groom
The father of the groom does not have many formal responsibilities, but he is also important to make sure the wedding runs as planned. Depending on the needs, he may help organize aspects of the wedding, give a speech, and welcome guests to the event.
The father will be there ahead of the wedding reception and as host, he will greet all of the guests and ensure everything is running smoothly.
Officiant
You’ll need an officiant to be responsible that both of you are married legally. The person is mainly responsible for helping you say “I Do” and the paperworks, including the marriage license. So make sure you have one, so that you are officially married on that day.
Ushers
Ushers have simpler tasks compared to the rest of the team members. Often recruited from the circle of friends of the bride and groom, their duty is to greet guests and show them to their seats. Their task may be simple, but it is important to ensure that your guests does not get frustrated trying to look for their seats. Sometimes, they may take up some other duties during the wedding reception as well, such as asking people to sign the guest book, guiding people to the photo booth for a photo session, or encouraging the guests to post their photos on social media with a specific hashtag.
As you browse through the wedding roles, you can start to have a brief idea of who to recruit to fill up each responsibility. From the important role such as the bridesmaids to the ushers guiding your guests to their seats, recruiting friends and family to be a part of your big day recognizes the bond you share with them and the role they’ve played in your entire love story.