From the best man to the page boys and from the mother of the groom to the flower girls, there are so many people to consider when planning a wedding and so many important roles and duties to dish out.
To help you make sense of them all, we’ve put together a guide for each and every role – so you’ll know exactly what you should be asking of your wedding A-team!
You may not have every single one of these roles in your wedding party, but if you’re considering them, our guides will help you decide either way.
READ MORE: 10 Bridesmaid Proposal Boxes (and How to Make Your Own)
The Best Man
The role of the best man is to be there to support the groom on the big day and during the wedding planning process. If the groom wants some extra advice when it comes to suit shopping, choosing gifts or writing his speech, then the best man is by his side to help. Of course, the best man will typically organise the stag do, and there is also the traditional best man speech to write.
READ MORE: 33 Genuinely Funny Best Man Speech Jokes
The Maid of Honour
The maid of honour role is a special one and she is there to help with everything the bride might need. Whether that’s being an emotional support, helping to choose bridesmaid dresses or the all-important wedding dress shopping, the maid of honour is the bride’s rock during her wedding planning. The maid of honour traditionally also takes the lead on the hen party planning.
READ MORE: This Is Who You Should Pick as Your Maid of Honour, According to Your Star Sign
The Bridesmaids
Traditionally, it was the bridesmaid’s role to walk down the aisle looking beautiful. This would confuse evil spirits so they didn’t curse the bride. Luckily, nowadays bridesmaids have a much more fun role! They are there to support the bride, offer advice during the wedding planning and help the maid of honour with planning the hen do.
READ MORE: Choosing Your Bridesmaid Dresses – Our Top Tips
The Ushers
The ushers are usually close friends or relatives of the groom and their main role is to help the wedding day run smoothly, help to seat guests, distribute the order of service and point people in the right direction throughout the day. The ushers can also help the best man with planning the stag do and they can be the perfect test audience for the best man’s speech.
READ MORE: 25 Groomsman Gift Ideas for Every Budget
Mother of the Bride
The mother of the bride role is an important one. Many brides lean on their mum for emotional support in the run up to the day, asking them for help with wedding dress shopping and advice. On the day of the wedding, the mother of the bride will help the bride get ready in the morning and be there until she is just about to walk down the aisle.
More About the Mother of the Bride
READ MORE: 43 of the Best Mother of the Bride Dresses and Outfits for 2020
Father of the Bride
The father of the bride role is one of the most demanding parent roles on the day – after all, you will be the one making the father of the bride speech! In the run up to the wedding you will be there as emotional support (and potentially footing some of the bill!). What’s more, if the couple follow tradition, you’ll be walking the bride down the aisle too.
More About the Father of the Bride
READ MORE: 23 Tear-Jerking Father of the Bride Speech Quotes and Toasts
Mother of the Groom
The mother of the groom role is just as exciting and important as the mother of the bride. Being the mother of the groom means lots of attention will be on you; you may be hosting the reception, making an effort to mingle with the guests and making sure everyone feels welcome. You might also help with some planning!
More About the Mother of the Groom
READ MORE: 19 Mother of the Groom Dresses & Outfits: Styling Tips and Inspiration
Father of the Groom
The father of the groom role is a special one. Not only will you be there as emotional support to the couple in the run up to the big day, but you will also want to help the happy couple make all their guests feel welcome by doing plenty of mingling and chatting. Oh, and although the father of the bride traditionally makes the speech, feel free to give a toast!
More about the Father of the Groom
READ MORE: What to Say in a Father of the Groom Speech: Structure and Ideas
The Flower Girl
The flower girl role is small but special – if the couple have a younger niece, sister or friend of the family then asking them to be flower girl is a lovely way to involve them in the big day. Flower girls are typically girls under around the age of seven and they walk down with the bridesmaids dropping petals for the bride to walk along.
READ MORE: The Cutest Flower Girl Gift Ideas
The Page Boy
The page boy is typically a boy under the age of seven, maybe a nephew, a younger brother or the son of a close friend. The page boy traditionally walks down the aisle with the flower girl and his main goal is to look super adorable in the wedding pictures! He might also double up as the ring bearer, carrying the rings down the aisle.
READ MORE: Page Boy Gift Ideas: Extra Special Presents for Your Page Boy
The Ring Bearer
The ring bearer has one of the most important jobs of the ceremony as they are required to present the wedding rings to the couple. Who you entrust with that role is totally up to you – it could be a flower girl, a page boy or even a pet!
READ MORE: 15 Beautiful Ring Bearer Pillows
6 Top Tips for Choosing Your Wedding Party
1. Choose Responsible Friends
The best wedding party members will always be the people who are responsible and good at providing emotional support (because let’s be honest, there’s bound to be a few emotional breakdowns). You need someone who you can rely on to carry out their role properly at the same time as having fun, so if your BFF isn’t super dependable, you might want to consider having two of the same role.
2. Don’t Choose Someone Just Because They Asked You
Wedding planning isn’t the time to be returning favours just because you feel you have to. Choose the people who are closest to you at this point in time, not the people who chose you. If anyone wants to speak to you about why they weren’t chosen, be kind and tell them you had a difficult decision and there are lots of special people who you sadly couldn’t pick.
3. Think Twice Before You Ask
Once you’ve chosen your wedding party, you can’t go back. Take time deciding who’s going to make the cut, be sure you’ve made the right choice and then think of a lovely way to propose the role to them. Wedding planning is not a race!
4. Set Honest and Realistic Expectations
Although you need to choose dependable friends and family to make up your wedding party, don’t expect the world from them. If you want your party to play a hands on role in the wedding planning, it might be best to choose those who live closer to you. Don’t set yourself up for disappointment!
5. Consider the Size of Your Wedding
Of course, you can have as many bridesmaids and ushers and you’d like, but just remember that more isn’t always merrier. If you’re having a small and intimate wedding, consider stripping your wedding party back so that everything is in proportion.
6. Remember There Aren’t Any Rules!
Nowadays, you have free rein as to what you do with your wedding party. You don’t have to fill all the roles, but similarly, you could have two best men, two maids of honour or even a best woman! The choice is all yours – so have fun with it!
Fancy making an entrance with your wedding entourage? Check out the 125 Best Wedding Entrance Songs.
