Roles of Members of the Wedding Party

When planning a wedding, it's important to know the members of a traditional wedding party and what the responsibilities of each person in that position are. The obvious two to start with are the bride and the groom. These are self explanatory, but need to be mentioned since they're the most import part of the wedding party. Most of the arrangements and plans for the wedding are decided by the bride and groom. Of course, the most important roles that the bride and groom have is that they will exchange vows and start a life together. The other members of the wedding party also have important roles and are there to assist the bride and groom on their big day.

The Maid of Honor is normally the best friend of the bride or a very close relative. This person is someone to whom the bride is very close and will be willing to instill a lot of trust. The Maid of Honor will go with the bride when she is shopping for a wedding dress and also shops for other things for the wedding. She may even help the bride choose gowns for herself and the bridesmaids in the wedding party. Another important task the Maid of Honor has is throwing a bridal shower and/or a bachelorette party. The day of the wedding, the Maid of Honor may accompany the bride to the hair salon to get her hair done and will assist her in getting dressed into her wedding gown. She is also responsible for holding the groom's wedding band, walking down the isle, positioning and repositioning the bride's train when necessary, holding the bride's flowers during the ceremony, and participating in the receiving line directly after the ceremony.

The Best Man is usually the best friend or someone very close to the groom. He will coordinate the bachelor party, assist the groom in choosing wedding tuxedos, assisting the groom in getting dressed before the wedding, and holding the bride's wedding band. The Best Man must also be in the receiving line at the end of the ceremony and will toast the newly married couple at the reception.

The bridesmaids also play an important role in the wedding. They attend the bridal shower, walk down the isle at the ceremony, and participate in the receiving line after the ceremony. Similarly, the groomsmen attend the bachelor party and participate in the receiving line at the end of the ceremony. They also have the special duty of seating all of the guests at the wedding ceremony.

Most weddings also consist of a flower girl and a ring bearer. These roles are usually filled by small children and there isn't much responsibility involved. The flower girl carries a basket of flowers down the isle and sometimes spreads flower pedals to pave the way for the bride. The ring bearer is often paired with the flower girl while walking down the isle and will carry a symbolic pillow with fake rings attached