Although many people associate the ushers in a wedding with just the bachelor party, they actually have some very real duties to attend to. There are some time commitments and costs involved with being an usher, so make sure you are ready for the responsibility when you accept the invitation.

Before the wedding you need to make sure to get fitted for your tuxedo or other wedding clothes depending on how formal the wedding is. You will be responsible for the cost of your attire for the big day, along with some of the costs involved with planning and executing the bachelor party. 

The day before the wedding make sure you pick up your tuxedo or clothes for the wedding.

On the day of the wedding you will be responsible greeting the guests and walking them to their seats. Depending on how many ushers are in the wedding you may need to escort either the mother of the bride or the mother of the groom down the aisle to their seat, along with one of the bridesmaids.

If you rented your tuxedo don't forget to return it the day after the wedding!

Father of the Groom Duties

For the perfect wedding gift give the father of the groom a pair of father of the groom cufflinks

There is no better day for a father than his daughter`s wedding day. We all know that his biggest responsibilities are traditionally paying for the wedding and reception, and of course giving the bride away. But there are other duties for a father to participate in throughout the day.

During the Wedding

On the wedding day the father will walk his daughter down the aisle and "give her away" to her new husband. This is often with mixed emotions as he acknowledges another man in her life, and accepts the fact that she is grown up.

A father is also an important part of the receiving line. He should stand next to his daughter and greet each guest. The father also traditionally escorts the groom`s mother to the reception. They should leave after the new couple, but before the rest of the guests.

During the Reception

The second most emotional part of a wedding day is the father daughter dance. This can bring the whole reception to a standstill, and many times there is not a dry eye in the house. The song can be a special song that holds meaning for father and daughter, or it can be one they decide they like as they are planning the wedding. If you are not an experienced dancer you might want to practice ahead of time.

Don`t forget the father traditionally gives the first speech and toast of the day. Think about what you would like so say ahead of time and make sure it comes from the heart. This is a great time to tell your daughter how proud you are of her, and how much you love her.

Lastly, during the reception the father should make sure that all his guests are enjoying themselves, and make sure he is enjoying himself as well!

For the perfect wedding gift give the father of the bride a pair of father of the bride cufflinks

Being chosen as a Best Man is an honor, but it comes with some responsibilities other than just organbising the stag do. There are some duties that must be done for your friend to make their wedding day go smoothly.

Before the Wedding

A few months before the wedding you should start organizing the bachelor party. Depending on how elaborate you go, this could take some time. You should also help the groom with any of his duties as the wedding gets closer.

It is traditional for the best man to give a toast and a speech at the reception. Prepare your speech ahead of time. You should definitely have a good idea of what you want to say so it goes well during the reception. Keep in mind you have a very broad audience with many family members.

A few days before the wedding pick up your suit or tuxedo, and make sure the groomsmen have theirs. Make sure the groom is all set with preparations for the rehearsal dinner(if your having one), and support him where needed.

The night before the wedding organize any decorations needed for the bride and grooms transportation from the ceremony to the reception. Quite often it will have "Just Married" on it along with cans or other noise makers.

The Day of the Wedding

On the day of the wedding help the groom get dressed into his tuxedo or wedding clothes, and make sure he gets to the ceremony on time. You are in charge of the wedding rings so make sure you have them in a safe place that is easy to access during the ceremony.

After the ceremony the best man is usually responsible for paying the officiant, or making a donation to the Church.

At the reception be prepared to be in charge of accepting gifts and cards for the bride and groom.

Don`t forget to have fun and enjoy your friends wedding day!

For the perfect wedding gift give the best man a pair of best man cufflinks

Planning a wedding is a huge undertaking and the responsibilities should be shared by both the bride and the groom. The tasks can be divided up so you both are working towards your big day, but there are also some responsibilities that the groom can take care of on his own or with just a little help from his bride.

Choose Your Wedding Attendants

The groom needs to choose who he wants for a best man and his groomsmen. The best man is sometimes a brother or close relative or longtime friend, but should be someone you can trust. You need to make sure you choose enough groomsmen to be matched up with each of the bridesmaids.

Select What to Wear

As a groom you need to decide what you and your groomsmen will wear for the ceremony. This should be talked about first with the bride to decide on the formality of the wedding. Wedding attire for men can range from tuxedos for a formal wedding all the way down to shorts and casual shirts for a beach wedding.

Transportation

A good task for a groom is to arrange for the transportation for the wedding party to and from the ceremony and reception. You will need to remember that the bride and groom will arrive separately, but leave together. Make sure you arrange it so your wedding party can get to the reception.

Gifts

It is traditional for the groom to give his best man and groomsman thank you gifts. These can be either something to go along with the wedding or something they can remember the wedding by. It is also a tradition to buy your bride a wedding gift. You might want to discuss this with the bride first to make sure it is something you want to spend money on before the big day.

Arrange Accommodation

The out of town guests will need to know where they can stay if they are spending the night or staying for a few days. Call some local hotels and set up a block of rooms associated with your wedding.

Rehearsal Dinner

The rehearsal dinner is traditionally the responsibility of the groom and his family. This might take some input from both the bride and the grooms parents is they are paying for it. The groom can take on the responsibility of making sure all the arrangements are finalized.

For the perfect wedding gift give the groom a pair of groom cufflinks

1-2 Years in Advanced (or longer in some cases!)

Decide on your wedding budget

This is your number one priority before you do anything else. You may want your dream wedding with doves, string quartets and champagne fountains but it wont come cheap!

Choose the date of your wedding

This is one of the most important things you can do for your wedding. The day of the week and the month of the year that you choose for your wedding will determine which of your guests will be able to attend and what style of wedding you can have. If you have visions of having your wedding on a Saturday in July in the top Hotel in the country then you are probably going to have to be on the ball from the start. It is becoming more popular (and cheaper to have weddings on a thursday) so dont rule it out as an option.

Choose the style and type of your wedding

Is it going to be an intimate affair on a greek island or will you be inviting every man, woman and child you have ever met to the local church and the on to the local village hall for a shin dig.

Choose the time of the wedding service and the reception

Its important to have the big day mapped out so that you dont leave your guests at a loose end for 5 hours during the afternoon. Set reasonable times between the service and the reception, allow for travel between the two and time for wedding party duties such as the wedding photographs.

For the perfect wedding gift give the groom a pair of groom cufflinks