Filling Wedding Roles

Ultimately, your wedding day is about you and your fiancé, but there are several other people who are a part of the big day. The list of wedding positions extends far beyond the bride and groom, giving you plenty of opportunities to incorporate dear friends and special loved ones into your nuptials. Ultimately, it’s up to you to determine how large and involved your wedding will be, but here are a few ideas of positions that may need to be filled:

Bridesmaids: These are the women who will stand beside the bride on the big day and lend their support throughout the wedding process, led by the fearless leader, the maid/matron of honor. The number of bridesmaids (or whether you’ll have any at all) is your call, but they should all be women that either the bride or the groom have a close relationship with. Female tweens and teens can join in the festivities, as well, as junior bridesmaids.

Groomsmen: These are essentially the male version of the bridesmaids, led by the best man. Ideally, the number of groomsmen will be the same as the number of bridesmaids so that everyone is partnered up for the wedding and reception.

Flower Girl(s): This is typically a young girl, usually between the ages of 4 and 8 (although slightly younger or older girls are fine), that walks down the aisle prior to the bride to sprinkle rose petals. Having multiple flower girls is totally acceptable, especially if you have several nieces, cousins, or children of your own.

Ring Bearer: This little guy is also between the ages of four and eight and walks down the aisle either beside the flower girl or just before her, carrying a pillow with two rings attached. Since most five-year-old boys aren’t the most reliable, the rings attached to the pillow are usually fakes.

Ushers: One step down from the groomsmen, these guys still don tuxes (or nice suits if you prefer) and assist with pre-wedding festivities. Their main job includes seating guests at the wedding and possibly pulling a runner down the aisle before the bride makes her entrance. Usually two to four guys are needed as ushers, but groomsmen can certainly fill this role if you don’t have extra men to use. Beyond Bridesmaids and Groomsmen.

Guestbook/Program Attendants: Anywhere from one to three individuals can fill these roles, regardless of their gender. Essentially, these attendants are stationed near the main entrance of the ceremony site to greet guests, pass out programs, and motivate individuals to sign the guestbook.

Reader/Singer/Musician: A great way to incorporate friends or family into the ceremony is by asking them to do a reading of a Bible passage, poem, or quote during the wedding. If you’ve got talented friends that you’d like to get involved, ask them to sing or play a song during the ceremony or the reception. Be sure to ask your wedding DJ to provide the proper audio equipment to accommodate your choices.

Officiant: One of the most surefire ways to personalize your ceremony is to hire an officiant who is close to both the bride and the groom. If you’re actively involved in a house of faith, ask the minister to oversee the nuptials, or if you have a close family member who is in a religious vocation, or works as a judge or ship captain, hire them. Otherwise, approach a trusted friend or family member about the possibility. If they’re interested, they can easily be ordained online, for 100 bucks or less, to legally officiate the wedding.