With so many things to be done, it’s helpful to know who should be doing what! I’ve narrowed it all down for you in this nifty wedding duties list. Please remember that we have come a long way since the days our parents got married. There’s a lot more planning involved and fewer rules too. You can have your wedding your way. Who says the bride has to plan everything on her own? And who says her parents have to pay for it all? If that’s the way you want to do it, then go for it! But if you want to shake things up a little, do it on your terms.
The list below is a helpful suggestion to point you in the right direction!
Bride and groom
As the bride and groom, your major role is to show up and get married. There are lots of wedding decisions to be made along the way and my advice is to try and make as many of these decisions together as you can. You are a team, after all.
- Create a budget
- Select your wedding date
- Settle on the style of your wedding
- Find your dream venue
- Book suppliers (we can help you with that!)
- Choose your bridal party
- Ask your parents if they’d like to invite anyone
- Write wedding vows (if you want to!)
- Send out Thank-You notes after the wedding
Bride’s parents
The suggestions below are just that… suggestions. We’ve come along way over the years! The bride’s parents were once left with the whole wedding bill, but these days, the wedding costs are shared with the groom’s parents and often the couple too.
- Host an engagement party
- Help with the wedding planning
- Bride’s father walks her down the aisle (here are some other ideas if you’re not into this)
- Bride’s father usually does a speech
- Stay till the very end and settle any outstanding bills at the venue
Groom’s parents
Again, these are just suggestions. I encourage you to do things your way, but these are some ideas of how you can split up tasks amongst the parents.
- Host a rehearsal dinner
- Contribute financially
- Help with the wedding planning
Maid of Honour
Out of all the bridesmaids, the bride will rely most heavily on her Maid of Honour. Brides, discuss your expectations with your Maid of Honour if you’d like her to be in charge of anything on this list below.
- Coordinate the bridesmaids’ activities
- Spearhead the planning of the bridal shower and hen party
- Help with the wedding planning
- Assist the bride in getting dressed on the wedding day
- Arrange veil and train before the bride walks down the aisle
- Hold the bride’s bouquet during the ceremony
Best Man
Similarly to the Maid of Honour, the groom will rely mostly on his Best Man to get things done.
- Spearhead the planning of the bachelor party
- Coordinate groomsmen’s outfits
- Make sure the groom gets to the ceremony on time
- Make a speech at the reception
- Get the getaway car ready, with luggage inside
- Return rented suits
Bridesmaids and Groomsmen
As a person who has been a bridesmaid many times, here are a few things you should think about doing.
- Be a good friend and offer to help with wedding planning tasks
- Be at dress/suit fittings
- Help plan the bachelor party/bridal shower
- Make yourself available to run errands
- Set aside time to help set up decor the day before the wedding
- Buy thoughtful gifts for the engagement party, bridal shower/bachelor party and wedding
- Help coordinate family photos on the day
- Mingle with guests at the wedding
- Be sober for the bridal party photos
- Get on the dance floor and keep the party going
- Take care of the wedding gifts
- Help pack away decor
Main image credit: Peter Rowen Photography
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