We don’t want to make your wedding sound a like a film set, with you of course playing the leading role, but there are certain characters without which your special day just wouldn’t be the same… or indeed, couldn’t even take place!

We’re talking about witnesses to the event, best men and bridesmaids, of course, usually carefully selected from the people closest to you.  But are you familiar with their prerequisites? Here’s a quick rundown of their duties before and during the big day.

Witnesses

The witnesses to your wedding are those persons who certify that the wedding has taken place according to the rules and that the bride and groom have taken the vows according to their own free will.  Both the bride and groom must have at least one for the wedding to be legal. The presence of witnesses is therefore essential for the wedding to take place.

This is the reason why the choice of witnesses is very important.  The most common practice is to ask from among brothers and sisters or very close friends to the couple, given the importance of the role.  The bridegroom’s choice usually takes on the role of Best Man and the bride’s choice Bridesmaid, or Matron of Honour, should she be married.

The Best Man

One of the most important tasks of the Best Man is to take care of the wedding rings during the ceremony.  This is the person that will have to keep calm and hand over the rings to the priest or minister (during a religious rite), or to the usually slightly nervous groom at the right moment (during a civil ceremony).   But there are other duties that a best man needs to carry out, and these include organising the stag night before the ceremony, making sure that the bridegroom gets to the church or registry office on time, and making a toast to the happy couple at the end of the wedding meal.  To thank him, the bride and groom usually give him a gift after the wedding:  and hopefully he’ll have deserved it!

The Bridesmaid

The Bridesmaid is a figure typical to English-speaking countries, but more recently has become popular in Italian weddings too.  Her role is to help the bride during the wedding day as well as with the preparations.  She usually accompanies the bride to the various engagements necessary and advises her on that all-important choice: her wedding dress.  The Bridesmaid is usually the bride’s best friend, given the importance of the role she plays.  At times, however, it is difficult to choose just one person and therefore the bride opts for not for just one, but a number of Bridesmaids.  In this case, though, identical dress is a must!

Flower girls and page boys

Other figures typically found at weddings in English-speaking countries and that have made their way into almost all Italian weddings are Flower Girls and Page Boys.  They provide that cute note to all weddings and usually generate smiles and happiness from the guests.
Flower girls are usually aged from about 3 to 6 and just can’t wait to get into a special dress for the occasion.  It will be one of the most important days of their life and they will usually be “charged” with sprinkling petals in front of the bride’s route to the altar, or carrying her veil.

Page Boys, on the other hand, are usually aged between 3 and 8 years old.  Their duty is to carry the rings on a velvet cushion to the altar and therefore, they usually precede the bride down the aisle, while she follows behind accompanied by her father.
With Flower Girls and Page Boys smiles are usually guaranteed during the ceremony: why not engage a children’s entertainer for the day to make their day special, along with the other children present?