HELPFUL HINTS FOR PLANNING YOUR WEDDING
Your wedding day is one of the biggest events of your life, so successful planning is of vital importance. The following checklist can be used as a guide to the traditional responsibilities of the wedding party. Please do not feel obliged to follow tradition. Many people organise their wedding based on personal preference, family circumstances and the size of their budget.
The
Bride and Groom
- Choose your preferred date and decide on the style of wedding: church or register office, formal or informal, large or small.
The
Bridegroom
- Arrange the date and time for the ceremony and pay church fees.
- Arrange for the banns to be called or obtain registrars certificate.
- Arrange and pay for transport to and from the church.
- Choose your best man, attendants and ushers.
- Make arrangements for your honeymoon.
- Purchase rings.
- Buy presents for bridesmaids, best man and ushers as a gesture of thanks for their help.
- Arrange flowers for your bride, bridesmaids and mothers and buttonholes for yourself and the best man.
- Prepare speech.
The
Bride
- Choose bridesmaids.
- Choose dress and outfits for bridesmaids.
- Book hair and make up appointment.
- List wedding presents.
The
Brides Mother
- Arrange the reception venue and handle the catering arrangements.
- In conjunction with the bridegrooms mother, draw up a guest list.
- Arrange printing of invitations.
- Send invitations.
- Make seating plan for reception and write out place cards.
- Order wedding cake.
- Arrange a photographer.
- Hire a video company.
- Arrange display of presents.
- Arrange buttonholes and flowers for the church and reception.
The
Brides Father
- Give the bride away.
- Pay for the reception, wedding dress, bridesmaids dresses, cars (except the bridegrooms), photographer, church and reception flowers, invitations and press announcements.
- Order morning dress.
- Prepare speech.
The
Best Man
- Ensure the groom arrives at the church on time.
- Pays church fees on behalf of the bridegroom.
- Look after the rings.
- Organise cars to and from the church.
- Prepare speech.
- Read any greetings received at the reception.
- Return morning dress.
The
Chief Bridesmaid
- Assists the bride to dress
- Holds the bouquet during the ceremony
- Organise the other bridesmaids.
The
Ushers
- Organise seating of guests in the church or register office and distribute order of service.
Before your big day it is a good idea to have a rehearsal of both the ceremony and, for the bride and bridesnmaids, your dresses, hair and makeup.
We will be happy to offer advise on catering arrangements, seating plans, order of ceremonies and anything else you may be unsure of.
Return to the weddings page.
