A Wedding Guide to Explain the Duties of the Wedding Attendants

Weddings are such a joyous celebration that two people share with their closest family and friends. Planning a wedding can be very stressful but if your wedding party knows exactly what their duties are and you can delegate responsibility to them then it will relieve a lot of stress. You should explain to those that will be in your wedding party what their duties will be when you ask them to be a part of you wedding. Don't be afraid to let them know what will be expected of them but don't be a bridezilla about it. Once you have your wedding planned, it is a good idea to give your wedding attendants an itinerary for all your wedding activities.

The Maid or Matron of Honor has one of the most important jobs of all. She is the right hand woman to the bride and an official witness to the wedding. She helps throw the bride a bridal shower and keeps a record of the shower and wedding gifts. She also helps plan the Bachelorette party. She will help the bridesmaids on wedding day and act as the leader of the female wedding attendants. She will hold the bride's bouquet during the ceremony and take care of the brides' personal items during the ceremony and reception. She will also help the bride change her clothes if the bride has a different dress for the reception or a different outfit for when they leave the reception for her honeymoon. And probably the most important duty is to keep the bride calm and help troubleshoot any unexpected issues that may upset the bride. She also holds the grooms ring.

The Maid or Matron of Honor and the Bridesmaids are generally responsible for their own gowns and accessories. The Bridesmaids are also expected to help with all pre-wedding activities and decorate the cars. They may also help with small projects like preparing items to be used at for the getaway after the wedding ceremony like wrap ribbon around bottles of bubbles or fill sachet bags full of rose petals to be thrown at the new couple when they exit the church. The bridesmaids also assist the Maid of Honor in planning the bridal shower and Bachelorette party.

The Flower Girl(s) will wear dresses that complement the bridesmaids' dresses. They will typically throw flower petals down the aisle runner and then the bride will enter.

The Ring Bearer will walk down the aisle in a tux or outfit that compliments the groomsmen and will be carrying the wedding rings. Traditionally the rings would be carried on a pillow.

The best man is the right hand man of the groom. He will hold the bride's ring during the ceremony. He is to support the groom and solve any issues that may come up. He will also help plan the bachelor party. And he will give a toast to the bride and groom at the reception.

The groomsmen will participate in any wedding festivities and help the best man plan the bachelor party. They will help with any set up needed for the rehearsal dinner, wedding or reception. And most importantly will support the groom.

Ushers are responsible for their own tuxedos. They will participate in all wedding activities. Their primary responsibility is to greet guests at the ceremony and seat the guests according to which family they represent. The bride's family and friends will sit on the left of the aisle that will be the side the bride and bridesmaids will be standing on. The grooms guests will be seated on the right side of the aisle that will be the side the groom and the groomsmen will be standing on.