When it comes to wedding planning, there is a lot of fuss made over the various attendants to the wedding. Among those attendants, however, are not just the bridesmaids and maids of honor – but the groomsmen, the best man and the ushers. Groomsmen can double as ushers, but sometimes you can have both. So let’s talk about these roles and what part they play in the wedding.
The Groom & The Best Man
The groom is the obvious choice. He’s part of the main event. He asked the bride to marry him. The best man is usually a brother or a best friend. In some cases, he may be the father or the son of the groom. The best man is there to be the support for the groom. He’s going to carry the bride’s ring and he’s in charge of the bachelor party and making sure the groom arrives at the ceremony on time and dressed in the right suit. The best man will also give a toast during the reception and he will also sign the marriage license as one of the two official witnesses to the marriage ceremony.
The Groomsmen
So if there is the groom and the best men are very definitive, what are the groomsmen for? The groomsmen are often numbered to match the number of bridesmaids. They serve as escorts for the bridesmaids after the ceremony. They also serve as escorts for the groom, they can prepare the car and help the groom and serve a far more ceremonial function.
In old ceremonies, groomsmen provided the armed escort for the groom to the ceremony and for the bride and groom following the ceremony. Dating back to tribal and clan times, the groomsmen were an honor guard in name and in profession. They would defend the groom from the bride’s family as necessary and in some cases – such as bride capturing, the groomsmen helped the groom to steal the bride.
Not quite the image we have of groomsmen in modern times. Nowadays, the groomsmen are a step down from the best man. They serve as witnesses to the wedding ceremony and help the bride and groom out during the send off for the honeymoon. One may take care of getting their car ready to go and more.
The Ushers
Depending on the wedding ceremony, ushers are not exactly groomsmen, though they may double for them at times and many consider them interchangeable. Ushers at a formal wedding will seat the bride and groom’s family and help guests to their seats – they will make sure that the formal etiquette is followed such as bride’s family and friends to her side of the aisle and vice versa for the groom’s.
When all the guests are settled, the ushers will then take up their places near the rear of the ceremony. They are then prepared to help any guests following the ceremony out of the wedding area and to their vehicles and more. Ushers are guides, assistants and more. Ushers can continue their service during the reception, especially if there is designated seating.
All The Groom’s Men
All of the groom’s men play a role in the wedding and a function. Depending on how formal or informal your wedding is, most of these men will provide useful service and assistance to the overall wedding party. While these traditional roles may not be what you had in mind, remember you can provide a list of duties for them to fulfill those roles. The beauty of a wedding is you can make it how you want it to be.
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