The maid of honor, the best man, the bridesmaids, the groomsmen, the principal sponsors… Let’s talk about your entourage! We’re going to go back to the basics today, and talk about the roles and responsibilities of the different people in your entourage. And if you’re not sure whom to pick for what role, we’re going to help you with that too! Ready? Let’s go!
Believe it or not, the principal sponsors are the only people you legally need at your wedding. Their primary purpose is to act as witnesses to your marriage and sign the marriage contract. Besides the legal aspect, your ninongs and ninangs also act as godparents to you and your fiance. When choosing your principal sponsors, think of couples whose marriage and relationship you admire. You also want to choose people you can easily talk to and ask advice about your married life.
For Catholic Church weddings, you’ll need to have three pairs of secondary sponsors. The candle sponsors light the wedding candles before the rite of marriage, the veil sponsors drape the veil over the groom’s shoulder and the bride’s head (they will also remove it after the cord is removed), and the cord sponsors tie or place the cord over the bride and groom (they will also remove it after Communion). If you have close friends who are too busy to be either a bridesmaid or groomsman, then you can entrust them the role of secondary sponsor.
The best man is the #1 go-to person of the groom. He’s in charge of attending to the groom, planning the bachelor party, having a speech ready for the wedding reception, and keeping the wedding rings safe. For a more complete and detailed list of the best man’s duties, you can check this out! Who chooses the best man? The groom of course! You want your best man to be someone you can trust and rely on to help you out. Usually, this role is bestowed to the groom’s brother or best friend.
Like the best man to the groom, you have your own #1 go-to person too! The maid or matron of honor will help you with everything wedding related. From the dress fitting and bridal shower, to helping the bride with her train or makeup on her big day, you’ll want to make sure to entrust the role of maid or matron of honor to someone you can trust, someone who can handle the multiple responsibilities you’ll be giving her, and of course, someone you will definitely want to share your wedding planning journey with. (Psst, we’ve got a more complete and detailed list of the maid of honor’s duties too!)
Besides giving support to the groom, the groomsmen typically also help the groom with whatever last minute errands he needs to run. They also help the best man with his duties, usher in guests before the ceremony, and escort the bridesmaids during the ceremony. Groomsmen are usually close friends and family of the groom.
Much like the groomsmen, the bridesmaids are your central support system while you plan your wedding. They’re there to help you and your maid of honor with all the wedding related tasks you need to get done. Your bridesmaids can also help receive guests during your wedding reception, as well as help hand out your favors. Bridesmaids are usually close friends and family of the bride. (While there’s no limit to the number of bridesmaids you can have, just take note that you’ll have to match the groomsmen number to the number of bridesmaids you choose.)
In traditional Catholic Church weddings, there are usually three types of bearers. The ring bearer, the coin bearer, and the bible bearer each carry their specific item down the aisle, and present it either to the priest or the couple. However, we’ve also been seeing little boys (and even girls) who carry wedding signs too! Usually, bearers are within the age range of three to eight years old, and can manage to carry their specific item down the aisle. You can choose your nephews, godson, or sons of your friends.
Traditionally, the flower girl’s main duty is to scatter flower petals as she walks down the aisle. But you don’t have to go with flower petals. Your flower girl can hold a sign, blow bubbles, or just hold a bouquet as she walks down the aisle. She is also usually between three to eight years old, and can be a niece, goddaughter, or daughter of your friends.