Wedding Tips | Personal Attendant and Usher Duties
Photo By: Alexa Kate Photo
One of the most common questions we get asked is “what are the duties of personal attendants and ushers, and are they beneficial to have?” So, we decided to give you a brief rundown of what these roles consist of, so you can decide if you would like to include them in your day!
PERSONAL ATTENDANT
Having a personal attendant (PA) is a great way to include a special friend or family member in your day if you have reached your max on bridesmaids or are opting out of having a wedding party. This person will be the bride’s go-to before and during the wedding. It may be helpful to think of this person as being your personal assistant for the day.
Photo By: Sweet Hearts Photography
PRE-WEDDING DUTIES
There are many things a PA may be tasked with on the day, and many of these things happen before the party has even started! They could provide an emergency kit of items that could be needed during the day. They could also be in charge of getting breakfast/lunch for the bridal party on the wedding day. The main pre-wedding task for the PA is assisting the bride while she is getting ready and being there to help with any misc tasks as needed. Your PA could also be a good person to learn how to properly bustle the bride’s dress, and can help with this later in the day.
WEDDING DUTIES
The personal assistant’s duties could last from the morning, all the way until the end of the night, depending on the bride's needs. They should always be ready to touch-up makeup for the bride, hold her bouquet as needed, carry or fluff her dress during photos, and help her use the bathroom (it can be a task itself with that big dress)! After the ceremony, this is when the PA may need to help bustle the bride’s dress and remove her veil.
Throughout the day, the personal assistant will make sure that the bride is getting enough to eat and drink (you would be surprised how easily you can forget to do this)! On top of this, they will do their best to help manage the bride’s stress in any way that they can.
THINGS TO NOTE
As your PA will be closely involved with you throughout the day, you may choose to have them dressed in attire that is similar to your wedding party. This may be a similar dress to your bridesmaids in a different color shade for a female, or the same clothing as your groomsmen without a jacket for a male. You may also choose to honor them by providing a wrist corsage. These steps will help your PA feel special and included on the big day! In addition to this, the personal attendant is typically included in the grand entrance if the rest of the wedding party is. However, they are normally not seated at the head table. These may differ based on your preferences.
Photo By: The North Photography
USHER
Having an usher on your wedding day is also a great way to include someone special in your day without adding to the bridesmaid or groomsmen roster. The usher’s tasks will typically begin shortly before the ceremony. They are more of an assistant to your guests, rather than to you specifically.
Photo By: Mattie Loney Photography
WEDDING DUTIES
As your guests arrive, your usher’s will be there to greet and direct them. They can point them to the gift/card location, restrooms, or where to sign the guestbook. When it is time for the ceremony to start, they may help direct guests to their seats. If you are having programs, they can hand them to the guests as they are taking their seats. In addition to this, although it is more of a past tradition, they can escort guests to their ceremony seats. This is a great idea to keep in mind if you have elderly guests attending. For the ceremony, you may opt to have an usher escort the bride’s mom in the processional. Or if you are having a grand entrance for the bride’s processional down that aisle that includes any doors opening, this could be where your ushers help as well. After the ceremony has begun, the ushers can direct late arrival guests to assure that they will not cause any disturbance. If you are doing a receiving line after the ceremony, ushers are very helpful in dismissing rows for guests to greet and say their well wishes to the newly married couple. This can help reduce the chaos of people trying to exit the ceremony all at once.
After the ceremony is done, the ushers may be available the rest of the day for any miscellaneous tasks that may arise. There are many possibilities of tasks that an usher could be faced with throughout the day. If you are having a backyard wedding, they may help with setting up ceremony chairs in the morning, moving the chairs to the tent after the ceremony, or shutting/opening tent side walls as needed (just to name a few things)! Also, if you are graced with a “good luck” rain shower, the ushers can help implement the rain plan and wipe down chairs.
THINGS TO NOTE
You may choose to give your ushers a boutonniere as well, but this may be smaller or include different flowers than the groomsmen. Typically your ushers will partake in the grand entrance if the rest of the wedding party is included. However, they are normally not seated at your head table. These can differ based upon your preferences. It also may be helpful to note that an usher is not necessarily needed for your wedding day. A bridesmaid or groomsman could take on these roles if preferred.
Photo By: Michaela Paige Photography
Overall, personal attendants and ushers are not a necessity on your wedding day. However, they can take an immense amount of stress off of you and assure that your day will run even smoother and you can enjoy every moment to its fullest!
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Creatively written by: Hope Konkol