Feeling overwhelmed by how much needs to be done before your wedding day and not sure who to look to for help? The wedding party is there to provide you with support in the run up to your big day so who will you pick to be your side men and women? And how will you go about asking them?
The Wedding Party: An Overview
Maid of Honour
Your chosen Maid of Honour will be heavily involved in the pre-wedding organisation – dress fittings, hen parties… you name it, she will be right there with you holding the fort! On the day itself, she’ll help you get ready and will be by your side signing the wedding certificate as your witness.
In addition to the usual responsibilities expected of a Maid of Honour, you may also ask this trusted person to stand in when your fiancé is unavailable, for example at food tastings or visits to wedding venues.
How to ask her? Pack a gift box filled with memorable objects, tickets and receipts reflecting your friendship and give it to her, along with a card, over a girly lunch or dinner date!
Best Man
The groom will choose a Best Man to support him in the same way that a Maid of Honour is there for the bride. He will assist with the planning stages and be charged with organising the infamous stag do whilst also guarding the rings on the day of the wedding.
On the wedding day, he will be on hand to help and generally keep guests happy. The Best Man will usually be in command of the ushers, telling people where to sit, introducing the newlyweds and getting the speeches off to a start (unless you have hired a Toastmaster).
It is possible for the Groom to have multiple Best Men if he so chooses (particularly if he has a group of best friends), but this can be a little tricky when deciding how to deliver the speech and who should stand with him at the altar.
How to ask him? You don’t have to go all soft if you don’t want to, just take him out for a beer man to man and ask him outright! He’ll be chuffed to bits.
Bridesmaids
Bridesmaids are usually close friends or family members and help the Maid of Honour with her duties, like the organisation of the hen party. Bridesmaids traditionally walk down the aisle just before the bride (or they follow her) as the ceremony takes place.
If a girl is too young to be a Bridesmaid, she is usually called a Flower Girl. These little girls scatter petals down the aisle just before the bride’s big entrance.
How to ask them? Why not get all your besties together and give them personalised ‘bridesmaid’ t-shirts? These double up as a great item of clothing to wear on your hen do! When adding a Flower Girl to your party, it’s best to ask her parents first!
Ushers
The main job of Ushers is to help get everyone seated prior to the ceremony and to check in with the Best Man and Groom. Ushers are usually good friends with the Groom or are family members.
Page Boys are little boys who aren’t old enough to be ushers, and their job is usually to walk down the aisle alongside or behind the flower girl(s).
How to ask? If you and your mates are usually up for a laugh, then why not print out letters on headed, wedding-themed paper giving them their mission as Ushers (or ‘secret agents’!). Once again, ask the mother and father of any young boys to make sure that they are comfortable with them having a role to play in the wedding.
Toastmaster
Not every wedding party includes a Toastmaster, but it can be useful to give someone this dedicated role. The Toastmaster needs to have a loud voice and be on top of moving guests around to the correct places throughout the day.
However, if you get married at Warwick House, you will have your own dedicated Wedding and Events Manager who will act as your Toastmaster for the day, making sure everyone is where they should be as and when.
How to ask? If your Toastmaster-to-be is a friend, and a loud one at that, then you could find a website offering personalised audio cards and create one that shouts at them as they open it “Will you be Toastmaster at our wedding?”.