The Ultimate Bridal Party Squad Guide: Roles, Responsibilities, and Checklists

Confused about how to delegate the duties of your entourage? Read through this quick guide to learn about different bridal party roles ahead of the big day!

Blushing brides need all the help they can get to prepare for their big day! While an exciting time, getting ready for a wedding can be incredibly challenging. With so many moving parts, it takes a full team to pull it off! That’s why it’s important to establish your bridal party early on, and let loved ones know their respective roles ASAP.

When selecting the members of your wedding party, go for those who are nearest and dearest to your heart. Remember, you can have as many or as few members in your wedding party as you want—but it’s generally a good idea to keep it proportional to the size of the wedding. Additionally, it’s important to be fair. Consider your loved ones’ feelings delegating bridal party roles to ensure that no one’s feelings are hurt.

Considering how many moving parts there are, you have a lot of roles to fill with your bridal party. Each of these roles is important, so there are plenty of opportunities to spread the love around!

Core Members of The Bridal Party

Both the bride and the groom have the duty of choosing their bridal party. Whether they are planning a traditional ceremony or are choosing to shake things up, the couple should have a general idea of who to designate in the standard bridal party roles.

One thing that all couples should remember is that their wedding party is there to assist them throughout the whole planning and preparation process. Beyond standing with them on their big day, their wedding party is their support system. As such, you need to keep them in the loop.

Afarose Bridal Buzz: When it comes to the bridal party, communication is key. Each member needs to be aware of their respective duties, so the wedding goes off without a hitch.

Maid of Honor

The bride’s maid or matron of honor is the bride’s right-hand person throughout the process. (When it comes to semantics, she is a maid of honor if unmarried, while matron of honor is reserved for those who are married.) However, brides do not necessarily have to choose a woman! You could also have a man of honor or a general person of honor.

The most important factor in choosing an honor attendant is that the individual is someone incredibly close to the bride’s heart. This role also entails a lot of commitment, as whoever it is will be supporting the bride every step of the planning process. The bride’s honor attendant traditionally is tasked with planning the bridal shower and bachelorette, giving a toast, co-signing the marriage license, and assisting the bride during the wedding day, among other activities!

The bride’s honor attendant is also in charge of the other bridesmaids. They will make sure bridesmaids are ready to walk the aisle, and that the bride looks her best at all times.

Checklist For the Maid of Honor:

• Review the wedding program
• Plan the bachelorette party and bridal shower
• Prepare a wedding day emergency kit of facial tissues, breath mints, lipstick, and other necessities for the bride
• Make sure the bridesmaids are ready and on time
• Keep in constant communication with the wedding coordinator, mother of the bride, and bridal party assistant
• Give a toast
• Hold the bride’s bouquet
• Fix the bride’s train at the altar

Bridesmaids

Being chosen as a bridesmaid is an honor for anyone, as it is a position usually reserved for the bride’s closest friends. Bridesmaids form the bride’s larger support group through the preparation process and are there to help the bride and honor attendant in the dash to the wedding day.

Before the wedding, bridesmaids are there to help manage the bride’s stress levels and assist in picking out dresses. During the wedding, the bridesmaids have several duties, such as helping direct the flow of rehearsal dinners and the wedding itself, making sure everyone—but most especially the bride—enjoys themselves. Accordingly, they need to be kept alert of changes in plans!

Bridesmaid’s Duties—Wedding Checklist:

• Support the maid of honor
• Attend all the pre-wedding and post-wedding events
• Consult with the bride, maid of honor, and bridal party assistant about wedding day duties
• Help the bride choose her wedding dress

Best Man

The best man is usually the groom’s best friend or closest family member. Like the bride and her maid of honor, the best man is the groom’s right hand. The groom’s honor attendant is just as important as the bride’s, as they are each responsible for the planning and execution of a number of wedding stages.

The best man is responsible for planning the groom’s bachelor party, organizing gifts for the groom, and helping the groom select groomsmen's attire. Traditionally, the best man is also tasked with taking care of the couple’s wedding rings. He also kicks off toasts during the reception.

The best man is the groom’s number one support during the wedding planning process. That is why it is crucial to choose someone who is both close to them and dependable.

Checklist for the Best Man:

• Take care of the wedding rings
• Plan the bachelor party
• Help the groom dress
• Make sure the groom arrives at the wedding venue on time
• Make sure the groomsmen are dressed and ready
• Collect any payments for suppliers
• Give a toast

Groomsmen

Groomsmen are the groom’s counterparts for the bride’s bridesmaids. While they may not need as much time to get glammed up, they still spend the morning of the wedding helping the groom prepare. Groomsmen are also responsible for welcoming guests and keeping the air lively and fun—gathering people for photos, joining in on the games, and helping other guests get seated and comfortable. While the couple may hire ushers for the day, groomsmen still play an important role in keeping things orderly.

Similar to a bride and her bridesmaids, groomsmen are tasked with managing the groom—keeping him relaxed and ready leading up to and during the big day.

When selecting people for these key bridal party roles, the bride and groom should consider their closest friends, of any gender. Let us not forget, actress Carmen Diaz portrays the best man in the wedding movie, My Best Friend’s Wedding! Mix in your closest friends and family members of any gender.

Groomsman’s Wedding Checklist:

• Help plan the bachelor party
• Help usher guests to their seats during the wedding
• Support the best man in his duties
• Attend all pre-wedding and post-wedding events

Junior Bridesmaids and Groomsmen

Sometimes, couples have loved ones who they want to include in the wedding party but are either too young to be a bridesmaid or groomsman, or too old to be a flower girl or ring bearer. The solution? Give them smaller roles in the bridal party as junior bridesmaids and junior groomsmen!

Junior bridesmaids and junior groomsmen obviously do not have the same responsibilities as their adult counterparts. However, they still should attend rehearsal dinners and can be tasked with giving out wedding favors.

When dressing up junior bridesmaids and groomsmen, you should ensure they match the wedding’s theme and the color palette. Of course, attire may have a little variation for size and age. But try to keep them to the rest of the party’s color or theme.

Family Members of the Bridal Party

Family members usually have a hand in any couple’s big day, and they all have their respective bridal party roles. The couple’s brothers and sisters would be part of their selected groomsmen and bridesmaids, but their parents have a different set of duties and responsibilities.

Mother of the Bride

The mother of the bride works closely with her daughter during the entire planning and preparation process. The bride might ask her mother for guidance in moderating the guest list, selecting the wedding party attire, and generally acting as the hostess of the wedding. The mother of the bride might also host the rehearsal dinner, and help plan the bridal shower alongside the bride’s honor attendant.

The duties of the mother of the bride will usually be delegated by the bride herself—you can choose the level of involvement you want her to have. Generally speaking, however, the mother of the bride should serve as a support to lean on throughout the whole affair.

Father of the Bride

Traditionally, the father of the bride pays for most of the wedding. After the couple has established their budget and listed down their chosen suppliers, they usually turn it over to the father of the bride for approval. However, this is not always the case—the couple may also choose to foot the bill on their own, or both families divide up the costs.

The father of the bride also typically takes on pickup duty: fetching relatives and guests from the airport, bus stops, and train stations. They may also be tasked with providing directions to the wedding venue and hosting toasts during the reception.

Mother of the Groom

Usually, the mother of the bride takes on most of the planning and preparation. But that doesn’t mean the groom’s mother can’t get in on the action! Both mothers can take on significant roles in the bridal party. Brides might also invite their future mothers-in-law to dress shopping, food tasting, and other wedding planning activities. This is a great way for them to bond and get to know each other better.

Father of the Groom

Similar to the mother of the groom, the father of the groom traditionally takes a backseat role in the planning process. However, a more active father of the groom might offer to help the bride’s father out with wedding prep duties. The father of the groom will also traditionally give a toast, dance with the bride, walk the groom’s mother down the aisle, and help host the rehearsal dinner alongside the rest of the couple’s family.

When discussing wedding preparation plans with parents, remember that constant communication is key. It is important to keep your parents in the loop, so they do not feel left out. However, it is also equally important to set boundaries to avoid unwanted arguments or conflicts leading up to the wedding day.

Other Important Members of the Bridal Party

Even with a full team of loved ones, getting everyone and everything together can be quite overwhelming. A seasoned wedding planner or event coordinator can help smooth the path to the wedding day for the couple. Aside from coordinating with vendors and creating a day-of plan, a wedding planner can also help delegate bridal party roles.

Here are a few other key roles that are typically part of a wedding.

Flower Girl and Ring Bearer

Cute and charming, the flower girls and ring bearers are everyone’s favorite members of the wedding party!

Historically, flower girls carried baskets of herbs and wheat down the aisle to bring good luck to the couple and bless them with prosperity and fertility. Modern-day flower girls now usually use flower petals and confetti for a more sophisticated look—but the tradition still holds the same meaning.

In dressing up flower girls and ring bearers, pick outfits that are age-appropriate. However, these should still complement the overall palette and theme, so the entire wedding party looks uniform!

Bridal Party Assistant

Even with all the attendants on hand, the bride still might need a little more extra support to tie up some last loose ends. This is where the bridal party assistant comes in. The bridal party assistant is typically a friend or a close family member on hand to take care of anything that may have slipped notice.

They might organize gifts and giveaways during the wedding, or arrange transportation for guests. They also shadow the bride over the course of the big day to help manage stress. Considering how involved they are in the day’s affairs, the bridal party assistant should keep a copy of the wedding program with them at all times.

Ushers

Ushers are critical in keeping the wedding organized. They direct guests to their seats, answer questions, and ensure that everything is orderly. Although groomsmen and bridesmaids might also assist with this, ushers can lighten their wedding day load by taking over as guests’ guides.

Couples should provide their ushers with a seating plan, so they know who sits where. Selecting ushers is also a great way to include more people in the wedding party without bringing too many bridesmaids or groomsmen on board.

Religious/Cultural Roles

Depending on the faiths of the bride or the groom, they may include religious figures in their wedding party. Couples celebrating a Jewish wedding might include Chuppah carriers or a shushavim in their ceremony. Chuppah carriers are friends tasked with carrying chuppah poles, while the shushavim helps the couple create concrete plans for their wedding.

Devout Christian couples, meanwhile, may opt to include candle-lighters and cord-bearers in their wedding. Candle-lighters will light the couple’s unity candle, while cord-bearers will place the unity cord over the couple to bless them in matrimony.

Muslim weddings might feature hattabin among their bridal party roles to designate. These are male friends or family members who lend a helping hand to the groom in preparation for the couple’s big day, similar to multiple honor attendants.

Officiant

The officiant is responsible for marrying the happy couple. They lead the entire ceremony, so it is important for the couple to choose the right person! Pick an officiant you can trust to keep the flow of the wedding going without hitches. Depending on the extent of religious involvement you would like, you might choose to seek out a faith-based officiant. On the flip side, you can absolutely choose a secular officiant—just make sure they are legally qualified to officiate your ceremony!

Plan Your Bridal Party Squad Early For a Great Wedding!

Weddings are exciting affairs, but stressful to plan. With so many moving parts, it helps to assemble your team early! This way you have the support as you navigate the sprint to the wedding. Like your bridal party squad, a team of smart vendors who have your back can also ease the pressures leading up to the big day.

Afarose can make your dress shopping a breeze. From bridal gowns to bridesmaid dresses, mother-of-the-bride attire, accessories, and more.

Since Afarose operates as a fully online operation, the reduced overhead costs mean cheaper dresses for brides, without sacrificing quality. With years of experience in the wedding textile business, Afarose’s designers craft a gorgeous designer dress, just for you! Take advantage of try-at-home options and virtual consultation appointments to ensure the perfect fit.

Reach out to Afarose to set up a virtual consultation and start planning your dream dress today!

Take bridal party collaboration to another level! Visit Afarose’s newest interactive virtual showroom feature for gown inspiration and style ideas. Bridal party members can collaborate with other bridesmaids and the bride can add comments for the bridal party about dress options and get feedback all in one convenient platform in real-time.