Planning your wedding is a lot of hard work and can be super stressful if you try to do it on your own. This is why choosing your wedding party wisely is so important. Clearly defining the responsibilities of the wedding party early in the planning process will make things easier for everyone involved!
Here is a checklist of traditional wedding party responsibilities. Feel free to adapt them to fit your wedding needs!
The Best Man
The groom’s right-hand man.
Pre-wedding:
☐ Provides support for the groom and assists with planning where needed
☐ Helps the groom choose a tux
☐ Plans and hosts the bachelor party
☐ Ensures that the groom’s tux is picked up
☐ Serves as a witness to the signing of the marriage license
The Rehearsal and the Couple’s Big Day:
☐ Attends rehearsal dinner
☐ Communicates with groomsmen to ensure they arrive on time
☐ Ensures that groomsmen are properly dressed and have all accessories
☐ Helps the groom dress and prepare on the wedding day
☐ Leads groomsmen, as they make their way to the altar
☐ Carries the bride’s wedding ring
The Reception:
☐ Proposes the first toast
☐ Works with Maid of Honor to organize garter toss and the couple’s departure
The Maid of Honor
The bride’s greatest source of support and encouragement!
Pre-wedding:
☐ Assists with wedding and reception planning and arrangements
☐ Is an additional point of contact for vendors
☐ Attends engagement party
☐ Attends bridal shows and dress fittings
☐ Assists the bride in choosing the wedding dress/bridesmaids dresses
☐ Ensures that wedding dress is picked up
☐ Hosts bridal shower and bachelorette party
☐ Serves as a witness to the signing of the marriage license
The Rehearsal and the Couple’s Big Day
☐ Communicates meeting locations and times to the bridesmaids
☐ Serves as point of contact for the bride
☐ Helps the bride dress and prepare on the wedding day
☐ Holds the bride’s bouquet
☐ Carries the groom’s wedding ring
☐ Leads bridesmaids as they make their way to the alter
The Reception
☐ Performs wedding toast
☐ Organizes activities (bouquet toss, garter toss, dances, etc)
☐ Helps the best man organize the departure from the reception
☐ Helps the bride dress and prepare for departure
☐ Assists with clean up
The Groomsmen
☐ Purchase formal wear
☐ Assist wherever needed
☐ Attend engagement party and bachelor party
☐ Seat guests for the ceremony
☐ Escort bridesmaids
☐ Assist with clean up
The Bridesmaids
☐ Purchase dress and accessories
☐ Assist wherever needed
☐ Attend engagement party, wedding shower, and bachelorette party
☐ Help decorate the ceremony and reception sites
☐ Assist with clean up
Last, and most importantly, have fun!
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