Picking the members of your entourage will be easier if you figure out what roles they play during your big day. Here are the most common members:
How to Choose Your Wedding Entourage
Maid of Honor
Roles and Responsibilities:
- Plan the bridal shower
- Accompany the bride to dress fittings
- Spearhead and lead the bridesmaids
- Act as the bride’s messenger and assistant
- Give a speech on the rehearsal dinner and a wedding toast on the big day
The best friend or closest female family member of the bride, the Maid of Honor helps out the bride with anything about the wedding. From planning the bridal shower to straightening out the bride’s wedding dress during the big day, the Maid of Honor is tasked to help relieve the stress from the bride. If you can’t choose just one, or want to have a “Man of Honor”, that’s also an option for brides to be.
Best Man
Roles and Responsibilities
- Provide moral support and feedback during the ring selection
- Lead the groomsmen
- Serve as confidante and counselor to the groom
- Organize a bachelor’s party
- Propose a wedding toast at the wedding reception
The same duties and responsibilities of the Maid of Honor fall on the Best Man, and the option to choose more than one or have a “Woman of Honor” is also accepted. Usually, the biggest task that a Best Man is given is to throw the bachelor party, and to keep an eye on the groom during the wedding day, making sure that he keeps calm and relaxed.
Bridesmaids and Groomsmen
Roles and Responsibilities:
- Attend all pre-wedding activities and events
- Keep bride and groom calm and relaxed
- Assist the Maid of Honor and Best Man in carrying out their tasks
- Be attentive to the wedding guests
The first people who come to mind when it comes to choosing them as your bridesmaids and groomsmen are your closest friends. In the strict sense, they’re there for more than keeping the color theme going—they’re supposed to help the Maid of Honor and Best Man in any wedding duties that you’ll entrust to them. The number of bridesmaids and groomsmen depend on you (and your budget!), but the number of bridesmaids should be equal to the number of groomsmen, and vice versa.
Flower Girls
Roles and Responsibilities:
- Precedes the bride in the wedding march
- Scatter flower petals along the aisle for the bride’s service
These little girls have the most direct to the point role in your wedding: to shower flower petals on your wedding aisle. Sometimes thought to be optional, flower girls are more of a want rather than a necessary addition to your entourage, especially if you have pamangkins or friends with little ones wishing to take on the role.
Ring Bearer, Coin Bearer, Bible Bearer
Roles and Responsibilties:
- Walk down the aisle preceding the flower girls
- Carry the bible, wedding rings and the coins to the altar
These roles are usually given to children, but sometimes adults, even pets, take on these roles! If you’re having your ceremony in a church, it’s best to check the age requirements with them first. Remember that the items that they’ll be carrying, even if symbolic, are important to your ceremony, so it’s best to entrust it to people who can carry on the task.
Primary Sponsors
Roles and Responsibilities:
- Act as witnesses to the marriage
- Sign the marriage contract
- Offer marriage advice and wisdom to the couple
In Filipino culture, ninongs and ninangs are either kumares or kumpares of your parents and in-laws, or people who have reached a certain status in your community—politicians are a popular choice. The list of principal sponsors oftentimes become so long, it takes up more than half of the invitation! The main purpose for ninongs and ninangs, besides signing as witnesses in the marriage contract, is to provide support to you and your future husband during your wedding life. Find couples who you admire; those who have led a married life that’s not necessarily without challenges or problems, but those who you can emulate when growing old together. A strong, compassionate, kind couple who are examples of how to weather the ups and downs of married life would make the perfect principal sponsors.
Secondary Sponsors
Roles and Responsibilities:
- Carry and light the candles (Candle Sponsors)
- Carry and drape the veil ( Veil Sponsors) which will be removed after the ceremony
- Carry and tie the cord (Cord Sponsors) which will be removed after the ceremony
One pair each are assigned to become candle sponsors, veil sponsors, and cord sponsors. Oftentimes these are friends, family, or relatives who weren’t included in the previous slots of the entourage. While symbolic gestures once again, these are important slots to fill, and they have real roles to do. These roles must not be entrusted to anyone from your leftover batch of friends.
