Your Role as a Groomsman/Usher

[Cheryl Galvez]

Your Role as a Groomsman/Usher
by Cheryl Galvez

You've just been asked to stand next to your friend as one of his groomsmen. The following is a list of your responsibilities as one of the male attendants of the wedding party.

• Usually 16 years of age or older, junior groomsmen would be 8 to 15 years of age
• Provide your measurements to the groom for the tuxedo rental
• Pay for your transportation and/or lodging to and from the wedding city
• Pay for your tuxedo and/or shoe rental
• Attend pre-wedding parties, if feasible
• Welcome guests to their seats before the wedding ceremony
• Usher guests to their seats by:

• First asking if they are guests of the bride or groom. If they are with the bride, they should be seated at the left side of the church (facing the altar). If with the groom, then they should be seated to the right.
• Seating the eldest guests first if a large group arrives.
• Escorting female guests with his right arm with her escort walking behind, or leading a couple to their seat
• Distributing programs to guests after they have been seated.
• Balancing out the guests by asking arriving guests if they wouldn't mind sitting on the other (less filled) side.
• After the guests have been seated, escort special guests to their seats in this order (unless otherwise directed by the bridal couple):

• general special guests
• grandmothers of the bride and groom
• groom's mother
• bride's mother
• Position the aisle runner in place before the processional is ready to begin
• Collect discarded programs and articles from the pews after the ceremony
• Direct guests to the reception and hand out preprinted maps and directions to those who need them
• Assist in gathering the wedding party for photographs
• Participate in the garter toss, if single
• Additionally, a head usher should be designated to coordinate the ushers, make sure they know their duties, know how to carry them out, know the proper seating of special guests, and know the order in which they should be seated. This role should not be taken on by the Best Man, however, since he will be too busy attending to the groom.

Feel free to add or comment.