The wedding party consists of the close family of the bride and groom
The bride and groom are given the opportunity of asking friends to fulfil very important roles. This is an acknowledgement of their valuable friendship
Family :
The mother of the bride
The father of the bride
The mother of the groom
The father of the groom
Friends :
The best man - chosen by groom
The chief bridesmaid - chosen by the bride
Attendants - bridesmaids and pageboys– chosen by the bride
Usher - chosen by the groom
The Bride :
The main role for the bride is choosing her dress - the fabric, colour , style, what accessories and jewellery to have and how to wear it .
It is thought to be unlucky for the groom to see the bride in her wedding dress until she arrives at the ceremony and also thought to be unlucky for the bride to make her own wedding dress
The Traditional Saying:
Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a silver sixpence in your shoe
The Attendants :
The bride is the centre stage - this is your special day, the attendants are there to assist you and support you.
If you decide to have a large group of bridesmaids and pageboys dressing them can pose a problem, you should choose a style that compliments your dress without shadowing it .
Remember you do not have to dress your attendants in the same way, you can co ordinate the effect by echoing key colours in the flowers and accessories, taking into consideration their age.
The Groom :
The role of the groom includes, the best man, the chief bridesmaid and the parents of both the bride and groom
The groom decides who will be his best man and what he will wear
Correctly speaking, morning dress, which is traditional option for formal wedding , is not worn in the afternoon or evening.
If the wedding is scheduled for late in the day, the groom may prefer to wear black tie, other alternatives to the grooms suit is in the armed forces, therefore he can dress in uniform or if he is from Scotland and may wish to wear a kilt, other male members of the party should follow the grooms choice.
· The groom helps to compile the guest list with his fiancée and her mother
· The groom gives the attendants a small gift to mark the occasion
· The groom organises the honeymoon
· The groom makes the speech at the reception, thanking those involved with the organisation of the wedding.
The Bride Parents :
· The brides mother draws up the guest list and sends out the invitations with her daughter and groom.
· The brides mother organises the gift list with her daughter and co ordinates the list with the guests
· The brides father organises the transport to the church for himself and his daughter
· The brides father gives his daughter away at the church
· The brides father makes the first speech at the reception
The Best Man :
· Acts as a liaison with brides family for all the wedding arrangements
· Organises the stag night
· Arranges transport for himself and the groom to the church
· Organises the grooms, his own and the ushers wedding day outfits
· Pays the necessary church fees
· Helps the groom get ready for the ceremony
· Looking after the wedding rings until they are needed at the church
· Organises the ushers
· Organises the transport for the guest to the reception
· Makes a speech at the reception , toasting the bridesmaids
· Reads any cards
· Leads the chief bridesmaid onto the dance floor for a couple of minutes into the first dance
· Announces the department of the newlyweds from the reception having previously decorated and packed their going away car
It is the duty of the best man to protect the groom from bad luck once they have begun their journey to the church they must not return for any reason. He must arrange for the groom to carry a small charm or mascot in his pocket on the wedding day. When he is paying for the church fees he must pay an odd amount to bring some luck to the couple.
The Chief Bridesmaid :
· Organises the hen night
· Helps the bride choose her dress
· Assists with organising the stationary
· Helps choose the bridesmaids dresses books the bride in for pampering sessions before the big day
· Organises the other bridesmaids
· Helps the bride on her wedding day
· Holds the bouquet during the service
· Helps the bride change into her going away outfit and then looks after the dress
The Ushers :
Control parking at the church
Distributes buttonholes
Shows the guests to their seats at the church
Hand out the order of service sheets
Call guests together for photographs
Make sure the guests all have transport to the reception