Who's Responsible? A Look at Bridal Party Roles

The reason we select our maid of honor and bridesmaids isn’t just because they’re close family or friends…we choose them also because we know we can count on them to fulfill certain responsibilities. The bride and groom have many decisions to make before the wedding day arrives and it should be a comfort to both to know that they can count on those standing up with them to help out in different ways. Some may not be familiar with the traditional roles of various bridal party members. Here’s a quick refresher so that you know what can be expected of your attendants -

1. Maid of Honor – Usually one of the most important and influential people in the bride’s life. She is someone the bride trusts and because of their relationship, the bride may call on her maid of honor to help her make important wedding decisions. Some of her other responsibilities include throwing the bridal shower, deciding and pulling together the gift that the bridal party gives to the bride and groom, walking in the wedding processional, holding the bride’s flowers during the wedding ceremony and the groom’s ring until the bride places it upon his finger, and traditionally, she is also there to witness the signing of the marriage license.

2. Best Man – Also a very important person in the wedding as well as the groom’s life. Generally speaking, the groom is much less involved in the actual planning of the wedding than the maid of honor or the bridesmaids. He is assigned certain duties as well including planning the bachelor party, organizing the gift the groomsmen give the bride and groom, holding the bride’s ring during the ceremony, witnessing the signing of the wedding license, making a toast to the bride and groom at the reception, participate in the receiving line and he is also responsible for making sure that the bride and groom have transportation to their next destination - usually their honeymoon.

3. Bridesmaids – Though less involved in wedding planning than, say, the maid of honor, they still have important roles throughout the planning of the wedding, the wedding itself, and reception. They are expected to attend the bridal shower, help the ushers (or groomsmen) seat wedding guests, participate in the receiving line and to generally help the bride whenever called on throughout the night.

4. Groomsmen – The male equivalent of the bridesmaids, they do much of the same things throughout the wedding and reception. They are expected to attend the bachelor party, help seat guests along with the bridesmaids, participate in the receiving line and assist the groom or bride whenever called on to do so.

Now, we know that this might all seem very complicated and knowing that certain things are to be expected of each member of the bridal party can make it even more difficult to choose each one but keep in mind that these people are your helpers. If you make the right decision, it should ultimately make your life a little easier.