Sometimes the duties and responsibilites of the wedding party are not clearly known. Here is a summary of what is expected from each and of course you can follow it to the letter or pick and choose what you want to keep. It's also a good idea to let your wedding party know of these responsibilities since many of them will not know.
Maid of Honor or Matron of Honor
This young woman plays a special part as head of the bride's attendants. She will typically help the bride with the invitations, favors, recording of gifts, and assist with any other planning duties as assigned by the bride. Her main responsibility is to take charge of the wedding shower and get assistance from the bridesmaids. She may also help the bride in dressing for the ceremony. During the ceremony, she will hold the bride's bouquet and ensure that her dress and veil are always in tact by arranging it when needed. She and the best man will be the witness in the signing of the wedding certificate provided by the church. The maid of honor may also be present at the receiving line and help the bride change clothes after the receiption. She may be in charge of ensuring the wedding gown is stored or taken to its location after the receiption.
Best Man
This will be the closest buddy of the groom, generally. He is in charge of organizing the bachelor party. He will also drive the groom to the ceremony and keep the bride's wedding ring until the groom needs it before his vows. The best man may also need to take care of giving the payment to the officiant, and pay any other professional services. Of course, he is given the payment by the groom in advance but the best man will give the payment to the necessary parties.
Bridesmaids and Groomsmen
Bridesmaids and Groomsmen typically pay for their own dresses and tuxedos (or wedding attire) for the wedding. The bridesmaids will assist the Maid of Honor with the wedding or bridal shower. They will also assist the bride in whatever tasks she needs help with during the wedding planning. If you choose to have rice, bubbles or birdseed thrown after the ceremony, the bridesmaid will provide the guests with these items. The Groomsmen help with the finishing and final touches at the ceremony location and arrive early to assist where needed. They will also distribute the wedding programs to all guests as they arrive to the ceremony. They will light candles prior to the ceremony, meet and seat the guest upon arrival at the ceremony. If you use an aisle runner, the groomsmen may roll out the aisle runner. They are also responsible for transporting the gifts from the reception. Both the bridesmaids and groomsmen will help decorate the bride and groom's vehicle.
Ring Bearer
The ring bearers goes beofre the flower girl in the opening entrance or processional. He will carry the rings which are displayed on a satin ribbon (the rings are not the real one, but just a gold plated ring). If you have a shy ring bearer, he can walk down the isle with the flower girl. The ring bearer is typically age 4-8 years old.
Flower Girl
The flower girl is the last person to walk down the isle before the bride herself. She can sprinkle fresh rose petals down the isle if you desire. She will carry a basket full of flowers. Generally, the flower girl is a small girl anywhere in the age of 4-8 years old.
