Planning Your Wedding - How To Choose Your Wedding Party

Getting ready for your wedding, one of theand should stand on your side. If he is going to
biggest events of your life, is a huge task whichtake the place of the maid of honor, he will be
can be easy or hard depending upon yourreferred to as the honor attendant. During the
preparation. Your wedding day should be a day ofprocessional and recessional, he may escort one
fun and celebration, not one filled with worry andof the bridesmaids if there are more bridesmaids
stress about things going wrong. When choosingthan ushers, or he can walk alone before the rest
your wedding party, always keep in mind thatof the bridesmaids.
these are the people whom you will need to helpSimilarly, your 'husband to be' can have a female
and support you the most throughout the timeattendant who can stand on his side during the
before your wedding. To make sure that youceremony. She is also referred to as an usher but
understand the ins and outs of picking yourshould not escort guests, especially female ones,
wedding attendants, here are some tips and hints.to their seats.
For your bridal party, select dependableYou and your fiancé should choose your
attendants and give each one a copy of thebridesmaids and ushers among the people that
tentative timeline for the day. Make sure theyare closest to you. It is not required or even
understand and will be able to accept thenecessary to include your family member as an
responsibility of being a member of the weddingattendant especially if he or she is not close to
party. Avoid asking children under three years oldyou.
to participate in the wedding. If you must, let oneThat being said, it may go a long way to make
of the attendants walk with the child or pair themfuture family relationships more congenial if you
with an older child.consider the feelings of family members as you
The number of ushers and bridesmaid depends onmake your wedding plans. Utilizing the skills and
how big and formal the wedding is. Generallyspecial abilities of friends and family can add a
speaking, the more formal the wedding, the morespecial touch to your wedding and reception. If
ushers and bridesmaids you have to include.there is a family member that, for whatever
Although there is no formal rule, you will probablyreason, you would prefer not to be in the actual
need to have at least one usher for every fiftywedding party, there are other ways he or she
guests, and also same number of bridesmaids.may be able to participate in the wedding.
However, you can always have as many ushersHe or she could:
and bridesmaids as you wish.- Do a reading during the ceremony.
In today's weddings, you may find as many as a- Sing a solo or play an instrument during the
dozen ushers and sometimes even morewedding ceremony.
bridesmaids. It is not necessary to have an equal- Be the coordinator for decorations.
number of ushers and bridesmaids. If you are- Be a personal attendant. (This person helps the
concerned about keeping the numbers even in thebride on the day of her wedding)
processional or recessional, you can have two- Be the person in charge of helping out of town
ushers escort one bridesmaid or you can haveguests find places they need (stores, restaurants,
one bridesmaid walk alone. For the dances thatetc). This will take the stress off of the maid of
are scheduled at the reception, you can have ahonor and the bridesmaids.
guest dance with the extra usher or the extra- Be in charge of the guest book or gift table
bridesmaid.during the reception.
Your bridesmaids are your attendants and theyYour wedding will be one of the most memorable
stand by your side during the ceremony. Youroccasions of your life. Your family and friends
future husband's ushers are his attendants andwant to be there with you to celebrate so be
therefore will stand by his side. If your best friendsure to enjoy and be grateful for their
happens to be male, he can still be your attendantparticipation in your big day.