A Groomsmen and Bridesmaid to do list
It’s the dawn of the wedding season and the brides and grooms aren’t the only ones sweating the big day. Mounds of responsibility is placed upon the bridesmaids and groomsmen, but what are these expectations exactly?
The Knot is a wedding magazine that establishes the duties these two important roles play in a wedding. All the information that will ever be needed for a wedding is on their Web site wedding.theknot.com. According to the Web site, it’s crucial for bridesmaids and groomsmen to attend all pre-wedding festivities (especially if they are looking to receive Groomsmen Gifts). Bridesmaids must attend the bridal shower and bachelorette party. Groomsmen attend the bachelor party. Both groups attend the engagement party and rehearsal dinner. Not only do they go to the events, they assist in planning, coordinating and decorating for them. Even though planning is a lot of work, it says that being a central role in a wedding has benefits like a lot of tasty, free food.
Matt Rutherford, an undeclared freshman, was a groomsman at age 10 for both of his older sisters. He said one of the duties of being a groomsman is posing in a slew of pictures.
“Being a groomsman is fun,” he said, “but be prepared to do a lot of standing around.”
Rutherford said he warns the future groomsmen to have a few words prepared in case called upon to say something at the reception. He said he was unaware that this would be asked of him and he found himself fumbling for words.
The Knot encourages all bridesmaids and groomsmen to buy a nice gift for the couple getting married. If a nice gift is unaffordable, combine money with other bridemaids and groomsmen so one can be purchased.
All bridesmaids and groomsmen should be prepared to act as human information kiosks to all the guests. According to The Knot, they should know where the bathrooms are and the order of events. Also, both roles might be expected to dance with each other at the wedding reception. Do not expect the bride or groom to pay for their groomsmen and bridesmaids wedding ensembles. Be prepared to purchase the dress or rent the tuxedo. Also, the bride and groom might want some of their bridesmaids and groomsmen to stand in the receiving line with them.
Some duties are left solely to the bridesmaids if they are not already being taken care of by the maid of honor. Bridesmaids keep track of the people who RSVP to the wedding. They make lists of the gifts that have been given and whom to thank, according to The Knot. Even if the planning gets stressful, be pleasant through all ordeals. If the bridesmaid dress is not pleasing to look at, remember to be tactful when talking about it so that no one is offended. It is essential that bridesmaids are prepared to provide emotional support for the bride. They are also usually the ones asked to do last-minute errands. These errands might include confirming flower delivery times and preparing centerpieces.
Tyanna Bennington is a senior and history major who was a bridesmaid for her roommate’s wedding. She said her part in the reception was manning the guest book. She also planned the wedding shower. Bennington said she made a quilt for all the guests to tie at the shower, which was the activity they participated in as they visited.
“It was really fun but it was kind of stressful because her shower was the weekend before finals and the reception was Friday of finals week.” She said that she advises anyone planning a wedding through the end of the semester to not do anything overwhelming and keep it simple.
–catherine.meidell@aggiemail.usu.edu