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Wedding Roles
Planning a wedding takes a lot of time and effort and can be very stressful. Where do you start? How do you know what you need to do? What can you expect from other key players in the wedding party? Who is responsible for what? What happens on the day? How can you be prepared?
Whatever role you have to play, nofreetime can help you quickly find out what your duties are - saving you more time for organising and planning.
> bride
- Decide on wedding date, type of ceremony and theme with the groom
- Choose the bridesmaids and their outfits
- Find the perfect wedding dress
- Decide on wedding suppliers with the groom (or mother of the bride)
- Buy gifts for her attendants
- Buy gift for the groom
- Turn up!
- Throw the bouquet to unmarried guests
- Write thank you cards to key helpers and guests for their wedding gifts
- Visit our bride section to find out more
> groom
- Decide on wedding date, type of ceremony and theme with the bride
- Work out the wedding budget with help from the bride and keeps track of it
- Decide on wedding suppliers with the bride (unless you wish to leave it to the ladies!)
- Organise the legal aspect of getting married
- Buy wedding rings
- Buy gifts for best man, ushers and page boys
- Buy gift for the bride
- Arrange honeymoon and wedding night accommodation
- Turn up!
- Make a speech
- Visit our groom section to find out more
> best man
- Provide the groom with all round support before the wedding day and on the wedding day itself
- Organise the stag do
- Help the groom choose outfits for the male attendants
- Pick up and return hired suits on behalf of himself and the groom
- Supervise ushers and ensure they are aware of their duties – check they have order of service and buttonholes to distribute
- Help the groom to get ready and get him to the church on time
- Take care of the rings and give them to the groom when prompted during the ceremony
- Pay church fees (if church wedding) or any other suppliers on behalf of the groom
- Act as witness during signing of the register (if church wedding) – escorting the chief bridesmaid to the vestry on your left arm
- Escort the chief bridesmaid down the aisle on your left following the parents of the bride & groom
- Announce of events throughout the day in the absence of a toastmaster
Take part in the receiving line. Click here for receiving line order
- Collect and read out any cards & messages from those not attending the wedding
- The best man’s speech
- Dance with the chief bridesmaid after the bride & groom’s first dance
- Ensure the bride & groom make a smooth exit
- Ensure wedding gifts are transported from the reception to a safe place with help from the chief bridesmaid
- Visit our best man section to find out more
> chief bridesmaid
- Support the bride before and during the wedding day
- Organise hen party
- Help the bride choose the bridesmaid dresses
- Help the bride get ready on her wedding day
- Keep track of time and ensure that the bride, bridesmaids and mother of the bride keep to the scheduled timings
- Ensure bridesmaids are lined up and provide final check of wedding dress and veil before the bride walks down the aisle
- Hold the bride’s bouquet during the ceremony
- Act as witness during signing of the register (if church wedding) – escorted to the vestry by the best man on your right
- Escorted down the aisle by the best man on your right behind the parents of the bride & groom
- Provide assistance to the bride if she needs to go to the bathroom
- Take part in the receiving line. Click here for receiving line order
- Dance with the best man after the bride & groom’s first dance
- Help the bride to get changed into ‘going away’ outfit (if applicable).
- Take responsibility for the bridal outfit
- Help the best ban to ensure that wedding gifts are transported from the reception to a safe place
- Visit our bridesmaid section to find out more
> bridesmaid
- Help organise hen party (organised by chief bridesmaid)
- Help chief bridesmaid and bride with any pre wedding arrangements
- Attend rehearsal (if church wedding)
- Help flower girl to get ready
- Travels to ceremony with mother of the bride
- Follows the bride down the aisle
- Assist bride on day – ensure bride’s dress, veil etc are perfectly arranged throughout the day
- Visit our bridesmaid section to find out more
> ushers
- Help with parking and provide umbrellas to escort guests in the event of rain
- Hand out the orders of service & buttonholes (if applicable)
- Greet guests and direct them to their seats – bride’s family to the left of the aisle, groom’s family to the right (as you walk into the venue)
- Escort elderly or disabled guests to their seat
- Escort the mother of the bride to her seat when the other guests are seated
- Ensure the route is clear for the arrival of the bride
- Ensure all guests have transport to the wedding reception and provide directions/maps where necessary
- Help round up guests for the official photos
- Manage the number of guests at the receiving line to prevent a queue but maintaining a constant flow
- Encourage guests onto the dance floor
- Line up guests to say goodbye to the bride & groom when they leave
- Help ensure that everyone has transport home at the end of the night
- Provide support to the best man throughout the day
- Visit our ushers section to find out more
> flower girl
- Walk ahead of the bride carrying a basket and scatter petals along the aisle (if venue allows)
> page boy (ring bearer)
- Carry the wedding rings on a pillow to give to the best man or hold the brides’ train as she walks down the aisle
> mother of the bride
- Help the bride & groom with wedding planning & arrangements where required
- Help the bride choose the perfect wedding dress
- Assist bride & groom in preparing the guest list with help from the groom’s parents
- Send out invites and keep track of replies
- Provide ushers with list of guests and any special seating requirements
- Help the bride to prepare a schedule of timings for the day and ensure key attendants have a copy
- Help the bride and bridesmaids to get ready
- Travel to the ceremony with the bridesmaids
- Escorted down the aisle by the ushers before the ceremony
- Attend the signing of the register (if church ceremony)
- Escorted down the aisle by the father of the groom behind the bride & groom
- Take part in the receiving line. Click here for receiving line order
- Assume the role of hostess regardless of who pays for the wedding
- Send wedding cake to any guests unable to attend the wedding
- Visit our mother of the bride section to find out more
> father of the bride
- Support the bride before and during the day
- Contribute towards or pay for the wedding
- Travel with the bride to the ceremony and escort her down the aisle
- Give her away
- Attend the signing of the register (if church ceremony)
- Escort the mother of the groom down the aisle behind the bride & groom
- Take part in the receiving line. Click here for receiving line order
- First speech of the day!
- Assume the role of host regardless of who pays for the wedding
- Visit our father of the bride section to find out more
> groom's parents
- Traditionally not very involved – but help will always be very welcome and appreciated and there will definitely be something for you to do
- May make a contribution towards to the wedding
- The father of the groom should escort the mother of the bride down the aisle behind the bride & groom after the ceremony
- The mother of the groom will be escorted down the aisle by the father of the bride
- Take part in the receiving line. Click here for receiving line order
- Visit our groom's parents section to find out more