The ushers serve a largely ceremonial function. They are usually close friends or relatives of the Groom or Bride. Although being in a wedding party is a lot of fun, there are important responsibilities for ushers.
Before the wedding day, the ushers need to be available to help the Groom and best man with any details that they can. They especially must be available for formal wear fittings. Ushers attend necessary social functions such as the bachelor party, the rehearsal, and the rehearsal party.
Some of the social occasions involve gift giving. It is wise for the Groom to remember that he has selected these men to be in the wedding party because he wants their support and wants them to share his special day. It should not be a financial hardship for someone to participate. The Groom needs to make it clear to members of the wedding party that a gift is not expected at each of the social events.
As might be expected. the ushers' primary responsibilities center around the wedding day itself. It is the obligation of the ushers to attend the wedding rehearsal and to pay attention to the details of the upcoming ceremony as well as the specifics of their responsibilities.
On the day of the ceremony. the ushers need to be at the ceremony site approximately one hour before the time of the ceremony. If any guests are to be seated in reserved seats, the ushers MUST know where those reserved
The ushers welcome guests to the ceremony as they arrive and escort female guests, by offering their right arm, to their seats. Guests of the Bride are normally seated on the left side (facing forward) and guests of the Groom on the right. If someone happens to be a close friend (or relative) of both sides. they are usually seated on the side with the fewer number of guests. At some weddings the number of guests for either Bride or Groom is markedly different than the other. In this case. the Bride and Groom may prefer to have guests seated randomly on either side.
The last guests to be seated before the ceremony begins are the mother of the Groom then the mother of the Bride. The seating of the mothers is actually part of the processional and. therefore. NO GUESTS ARE TO BE SEATED UNTIL AFTER THE WEDDING PARTY HAS COMPLETED ITS PROCESSIONAL. Tardy guests are to be kept waiting at the back of the church until after the completion of the processional and then are directed to pews at the back of the church.
At some weddings. the ushers may escort the mothers of the Bride and Groom out of the church following the ceremony. The ushers may also control the flow of guests exiting the church by moving from pew to pew. This is especially helpful if the wedding guest list is large and would crowd the aisle if all guests tried to exit at once.
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