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Selecting your Bridal Party
As you begin planning your wedding and selecting your bridal party, you should keep in mind that this will be an event of a lifetime. As you marry your best friend and love of your life, you want to be surrounded family and friends who are dear and near to you and will participate willingly with love and affection. When selecting the members of your wedding party, you should think about the people who have shared in the joys and sorrows of your lives and are willing and able to help make your wedding planning a joyous occasion. Your final choices will have long lasting consequences. Remember that when including family and friends into your bridal party, you must consider each person’s financial situation. If you are planning a destination wedding or your wedding will require expensive attire, consider that it may be a financial burden for a person to participate. One way to overcome this is to offer to pay for their expenses. If this is not an option, many family members may be relieved if you do not include them in your wedding party.
Other ways to include special friends and relatives into your wedding day celebration, is by having them read a poem or scripture during the ceremony, light candles prior to the ceremony, be in charge of the guest book and gifts, help make wedding decorations or decorate wedding venue, if they are musically inclined they can sing a son, or play an instrument.
The size and formality of your wedding can sometimes determine the size of your bridal party. Past wedding rules used to determine the size of the wedding party such as, you should have one groomsman for every 50 guests invited to the wedding and then one bridesmaid for every usher.
When selecting your wedding party it’s ok to select a larger amount of groomsmen to bridesmaids or vice versa. If you select more bridesmaids than groomsmen, each groomsman can escort 2 bridesmaids or bridesmaids can walk alone. A new trend has also inspired grooms to select a woman to stand up as a groomsman and brides select men to stand up alongside the bridesmaids! When selecting your wedding party, be sure to consider members of your new family whom you hope to build new relationships with, such as a new sister or brother-in-law.
Maid of Honor will be heavily involved in wedding tasks throughout the planning process. It would be helpful if your choice for maid of honor lives near you. If your sister or someone special is your only choice, then many of the maid of honor duties can be shifted to other bridesmaids who live nearby.
Your maid of honor should be someone who will feel comfortable speaking in front of a large group of people, is dependable and punctual, organized, sociable and responsible. She will have a huge responsibility to help you with wedding tasks and other important duties such as: ___ Purchase her wedding attire ___ Addressing envelopes ___ Making wedding favors ___ Shopping with the bride ___ Hosting bridal shower & bachelorette party ___ Keep bridesmaids informed of wedding functions ___ Attend wedding rehearsal ___ Help bride with errands ___ Assist bride in getting ready on her wedding day ___ Hold grooms ring during ceremony ___ Sign marriage certificate as witness ___ Participate in the receiving line ___ Toast the bride and groom during reception ___ Help gather wedding gifts and wedding accessories after ceremony and reception
Best Man should be someone who will feel comfortable speaking in front of a large group of people, is dependable, punctual, organized, sociable and responsible: ___ Purchase/Rent his wedding attire ___Supervise groomsmen’s fittings ___ Help maid of honor plan bridal shower if it is to be a couple’s shower ___Organize the bachelor party ___ Attend any pre-wedding events (if men are included) ___ Attend rehearsal and rehearsal dinner ___ Help groom get ready on the wedding day ___ Coordinate the groomsmen on the wedding day ___ Transport groom to wedding ___ Hold the brides ring during the ceremony ___ Make sure the officiant gets paid after the ceremony ___ Signs marriage certificate as witness ___ Participate in the receiving line ___ Makes first toast the bride and groom during reception ___ Help gather wedding gifts and wedding accessories after ceremony and reception ___ Helps bride and groom with any luggage to hotel or to airport for departure to honeymoon ___ Gets grooms tuxedo to cleaners or back to tuxedo rental shop
Bridesmaids traditionally : ___ Purchase their wedding attire ___ Assist with pre-wedding errands ___ Help addressing envelopes ___ Attend fittings for their attire ___ Help maid of honor plan bridal shower & bachelorette party ___ Attend all pre-wedding parties and events ___ Attend rehearsal and rehearsal dinner ___ Precede bride down the aisle ___ Participate in the receiving line
Groomsmen traditionally:
___ Purchase/Rent their wedding attire ___ Assist with pre-wedding errands ___ Help best man organize/plan bachelor party ___ Attend all pre-wedding parties and events (if men are included) ___ Attend rehearsal and rehearsal dinner ___ Arrive at the church one hour prior to the ceremony ___ Handout wedding programs to guest as they arrive ___ Assist in seating guests with pew cards or reserves sections ___ Seat bride’s guests to the left and groom’s on the right ___ Greet and mingle with guests, providing any help if needed ___ Place the aisle runner ___ Escort Bridesmaids ___ Help gather wedding gifts and wedding accessories after ceremony and reception ___ Help decorate the getaway car The father of the bride traditionally walks the bride down the aisle. It is acceptable to select someone other than your father. Many brides whose fathers are deceased will select their mother, grandfather, brother or uncle for this honor. I attended a wedding where the father of the bride had been very ill and was still very weak. The bride selected her brother walk her most of the way down the aisle where her father and mother were waiting to give her away. It was one of the most touching moments of the entire ceremony. Many brides have both parents walk them down the aisle and brides who have a son, have also asked them to walk them down the aisle. Be sure to ask your pastor or priest what is permitted in your church.
Father of the bride traditionally:
___ Assist in financial, emotional and various wedding planning tasks ___ Purchase/Rents wedding attire similar to wedding party’s attire ___ Drive to the ceremony with the bride ___ Escorts bride down the aisle and sits in a place of honor during ceremony ___ Sits at a place of honor during the wedding ceremony and reception ___ Makes a toast during the wedding reception ___ Dances with the bride Mother of the bride traditionally: ___ Assist bride in selecting here attire ___ Provide her portion of the guest list ___ Assist in organizing the reception ___ Attend pre-wedding events ___ Attend wedding rehearsal & dinner ___ Purchase her wedding attire ___ Light one pillar candle before ceremony begins (used to light unity candle) ___ Sit at a place of honor during ceremony and reception ___ Dance with groom Groom’s Parents traditionally ___ Provide their portion of the guest list. ___ Assist in financial, emotional and various wedding planning tasks ___ Attend pre-wedding events ___ Attend the wedding rehearsal ___ Host the rehearsal dinner party. ___ Sit at a place of honor during wedding ceremony and reception ___ Makes a toast during the wedding rehearsal dinner and can offer a toast at the reception as well. ___ Groom’s mother dances with groom. ___ Groom’s father dances with bride. Children of the bride and groom can also be included by including special vows to the wedding ceremony that include the children, i.e. I will love your children as I love my own or I will love your child as my own. ___ Lighting the unity candle with the bride and groom as a family. ___ Children can act as groomsmen, Jr. Bridesmaids, flower girls or ring bearer depending on their ages.
Perfect Gifts for your Bridal Party
Honor your wedding party with special gifts.As the couple-to-be, you will want to select special bridal party gifts for each of your wedding attendants as well as those who will assist you during the planning your wedding and on your wedding day.The couple-to-be will be honored with many special parties and bridal showers prior to their wedding day but, the bride and groom should also take the time to plan a special "thank you" party for the members of their wedding party! Gifts can vary depending on the ages of each of your attendants, their personality, hobbies or personal style and don't have to be expensive. Remember it's the thought that counts. Personalized t-shirts can be presented to each attendant to wear prior to your wedding day to let them know how special they are to you. Bridal party t-shirts are perfect casual attire to wear at the bachelorette party or wedding rehersal.
There are many bridal party gifts for the men in your wedding party as well. When selecting a gift for your bestman or groomsman consider their favorite hobbies, such as golf or poker. Make the gift even more unique by adding an engraved message or name to each gift. 
A great way to show your appreciation to your attendants is to throw a fun "thank you party" for the members of your bridal party. You can even select a theme that will fit into your over all wedding theme. Click Here to view Bridal Shower Planning The bridal party can be planned several months prior to the wedding, to thank all attendants for their participation, and support in helping you plan your wedding. This type of party can be done as a "girls only" or "couples" theme. It's the perfect opportunity for attendants to meet each other and exchange personal information, if the are not already aquainted. Bridesmaids can take this opportunity to discuss bridal party issues such as bridesmaid dresses, hair styles, etc. Groomsmen can also provide tuxedo sizes. The wedding couple and bridal party can go over preliminary plans for the wedding. This provides the wedding party a clear picture of what is being requested of each person. The evening should be kept light and fun. Giving your wedding party a long list of assignments may make them regret that they agreed to participate. So, use this opportnity to go out to dinner and a movie after eveyone has time to meet and mingle. An elegant luncheon can be planned at someone's home or a nice restaurant. For those who love the outdoors, you can plan a barbque, picknic or a camping trip. Even the men will enjoy a day at the spa! The groom can give the men the low down on the wedding plans and the bride can focus on the girls all the details needed regarding their part in the wedding. Welcoming your bridal party in this way, will make them feel special and happy to help you with all the wedding details as your wedding day approaches. Presenting each one of your wedding attendants with a special bridal party gift, will show them how special they are to you. Your attendants will be honored that you were gracious enough to take the time to plan a creative, and fun party for them and they will follow suit, and begin planning a bridal shower or other special events for you!
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