Attendant's Duties

Being an attendant in a wedding is one of the most special things that may happen in your life. You are not only going to wear a formal gown and attend a party, you are an intricate piece in the new life the bride is beginning. You are the past which is linking to her future. In most cases, the bridesmaids have known the bride much longer than the groom has. You have shared special moments from slumber parties and hour plus phone conversations to proms and leaving home for the first time. You may have also been the cupid in the relationship of the bride and groom. After doing all this, how could you not continue to be the pillar of support on her most special day?. The bride is not leaving you for a husband, she is taking you and all the memories with her into her marriage. You are part of who she is and your presence is a valuable part of her happiness. Be the most helpful you can be and this is the time in her life when she will need you most. Weddings can usually stress a friendship ,due to all the emotions ,and friends tend to feel that they are losing a friend to the husband. Men cannot take the place of girlfriends! By being helpful and supportive of the wedding, you will be creating future memories with your friend. An attendant position is an honor and a privilege. The bride could have asked anyone, but she choose you!! Take advantage of this honor and make this time a pleasurable time for both of you.

The following is a list of duties for the honor attendant to help with.

• Picking out bridesmaid dresses
• Address wedding invitations
• Plan the bachelorette party, bridal showers, bridal luncheon and bridal breakfast
• Record wedding gifts at showers and pre-wedding parties
• Keep the bride sane and happy through this time
• Run errands the bride needs to have done
• Coordinate appointments for bridesmaids dress fittings
• Keep in contact with all the bridesmaids concerning schedules and activities
• Attend all pre-wedding activities with the bride
• Help introduce and mingle with guests at all functions
• Attend brides fitting appointments and learn how to perfectly bustle her train

• Check all bridesmaids to ensure they all look uniform and are on schedule
• Delegate someone to move all bridesmaids things from church to reception (usually personal attendant or special assistant to the bride)
• Give a speech to the bride and groom at the reception
• Help with any last minute problems that may occur on the wedding day to spare the bride
• Arrange bride's veil and train at the wedding ceremony and reception
• Responsible for the grooms ring and brides bouquet during the ceremony
• Sign the marriage certificate with the best man (must be at least 18 years of age)
• Accompany the best man in the bridal dance, photographs etc.
• Pack the bride's gown, veil and accessories and take to the cleaners or the bride's mother
• Help clean up the reception hall (if needed)
• Help transport gifts after reception

• Help return any items (rental pieces, tuxedos etc.)
• Attend gift opening or post-wedding brunch
• Offer transportation to out of town guests to the airport.
• Deliver any thankyou notes or gifts the bride and groom request you to deliver

The bridesmaids usually consist of close friends, sisters and sisters-in-law. It is important to choose your attendants very carefully.

Although most brides desire to have a large wedding party, do not invite just anyone to be in your wedding. These attendants should have some type of connection to you. It is nice to choose a friend from your child hood, high school, and college years along with sisters. You should not feel obligated to have certain people in your wedding, but you may also consider your fiancee's feelings. If the choice of adding another attendant to the party appears, it would be better for you to choose your future sister-in-law as opposed to a friend you have only known for a short period of time. Your future sister-in-law will be around a lot longer

than a co-worker will be. Think long term instead of short term!.

• Offer to run errands for the bride
• Assist in picking out dresses (remember it is the brides choice for what you are to wear)
• Pay for your wedding attire (if money is a problem, tell the bride immediately. She will understand it and try to help you, but only if she has time to do so. If you are not able to afford to be in the wedding regretfully decline and offer to do something else. It is not fair to you or the bride to bring up financial problems or anger about paying for things at any function or the week of the wedding. It is your choice to be in a wedding and it is an honor not a chore!!)
• Help plan bridal shower, bachelorette party, bride's luncheon and breakfast
• Attend all your fitting appointments
• Encourage guests to participate in shower activities

• Attend all photo sessions
• Be on time for everything
• Greet guests in receiving line and mingle with them at the reception
• Offer a toast to the bride and groom
• Help direct guests or answer questions (if needed)
• Dance with your groomsman at the bridal party dance
• Encourage guests to participate in wedding activities
• Help with any changes that may happen at the reception
• Help transport gifts
• Help clean the reception hall

• Attend gift opening and/or post-wedding brunch
• Offer to transport guests to the airport

This special position is somewhat of a mystery. Many people use this position as an honorary title, but it also has many duties. The personal attendant should be a person with wonderful organizational abilities, as well as, the ability to keep to a specific schedule.

They will also be in charge of ensuring the activities run smoothly the morning of the wedding.

• Attend all activities invited to
• Help address invitations
• Learn to bustle the brides train
• Help plan and/or decorate pre-wedding activities (if asked to)
• Prepare an emergency bag for the bride (lipstick, perfume, deodorant, pins, scissors, needles, thread (white, the color of bridesmaids dresses, black for the tuxedos), hair spray, bobby pins, brush, snaps, hooks and eyes, pantyhose and nail polish (clear and colored)

• Keep the bride on schedule (if you will be with her that day)
• Pin flowers on the guests, parents and party attendants
• Transport the flowers from the church to the reception site
• Transport any items for the attendants from the church to the reception site
• Help decorate the reception hall
• Keep track of the pictures taken by the photographer
• Fix any last minute emergencies
• Assist the ushers with greeting guests as they enter the ceremony site
• Help clean up the reception hall (if service is not provided by the hall)
• Help deliver the gifts

• Attend the post wedding brunch
• Offer to transport guests to the airport

The Groom's Attendants

Your friend, brother, or male relative has decided to take the plunge, carry the ball and chain and yes, Get Married. How could he leave the male bonding that took years to create and perfect through Monday Night Football, parties, poker, cigars, road trips and conversations at the bachelor pad. It is very important for you to not think this way. The groom has chosen to get married and he needs to have the strong support of the men who helped him evolve into the person his fiancee wants to spend the rest of her life with. Instead of offering him a plane ticket to Guam for his wedding gift (only to depart on the day before the wedding), give him your support. His future wife is not the enemy, she is actually an asset to you. Think of it this way: she will be able to help you decorate your apartment, help you go shopping and spend your money and may even let her husband out for a boy's day out.

Seriously, she will be able to contribute to the growth of your relationship. She will not always want to hang around with her husband and you, after, she has her own friends. If you enjoy the grooms wife, it will not only strengthen your relationship, but you will find a new friend. This is a special time for the bridal couple and they are asking you to share in this time. It is an honor to be in the wedding and remember, they chose you to partake in this adventure they are embarking upon.

Pre-Wedding Day

• Help the groom with anything he needs
• Oversees and organizes the groomsman and ushers
• Help address the invitations
• Attend pre-wedding parties
• Plan the bachelor party
• Helps prepare the groom's plans for the honeymoon
• Organize the sizes and ordering of the tuxedos
• Go with the groomsman and ushers to pick up their tuxedos
• Attend rehearsal and rehearsal dinner
• Offer to pick up guests at the airport
• Run last minute errands for the couple

• Keep the groom on schedule for pictures
• Hold the bride's wedding ring
• Mingle with the guests before wedding and during the reception
• Help with any last minute problems that may happen
• Give a toast and speech at the reception
• Dance with the maid of honor
• Deliver checks to officiant and any last minute payments to vendors
• Make sure the get away car is ready
• See that travel documents are in order
• Help clean up the reception hall
• Take care of the wedding gifts

• Attend post wedding brunch and gift opening
• Gather all the tuxedos and accessories and return them to the rental shop
• Offer to take people to the airport

• Attend pre wedding parties
• Help plan the bachelor party ( if asked to)
• Help address invitations
• Run errands for the groom
• Get measured for your tuxedo
• Pick up and pay for your tuxedo before the wedding
• Offer to pick up guests at the airport

• Be on time for pictures
• Help transport anything from the church to the reception
• Seat people at the church
• Answer questions for guests and give directions to the reception
• Give a toast at the reception
• Great the guests in the receiving line and mingle with guests at the reception
• Dance with bridesmaids at the dance
• Help transport the wedding gifts
• Help clean up the reception hall
• Decorate the honeymoon car

• Attend post wedding brunch and gift opening
• Offer to transport people to the airport
• Offer to return any rental items