Wedding Usher Duties

June 1, 2011. Bill Szydlowski

In every wedding, each participating person has his own duty to fulfill. If the father of the bride is to walk his daughter down the aisle, the best man is there to support the groom. The maid of honor will walk down the aisle before the bride and the bridesmaids will ensure that the bride has a beautiful day.

These roles vary by the person and the responsibility assigned to them. Wedding ushers have one of the most important responsibilities during the wedding day – to keep the guests seated accordingly.

Wedding usher duties not only include keeping the guests seated, but they also have to make sure that there is little commotion during the wedding. If there are about 150 or more guests in a wedding, ushers have an even bigger role. The ushers get their instructions from the best man. They pay for their own attire. However, some couples pay for their ushers’ outfits. The ushers will also attend the ceremonies, even the rehearsals. They will help the groomsmen all throughout the wedding.

Part of the wedding usher duties include arriving at the ceremony venue before the bride and groom. Ushers will hand out ceremony sheets to the guests, look up their names, and lead the guests to their designated seats. It is also part of the usher’s job to make sure that everything is set up correctly before the start of the wedding and before accepting guests into the ceremonial grounds. The usher will also be the one to inform everyone, especially the groom, that the bride is arriving. The usher stays at the back to lead latecomers. If the usher is the first at the ceremony, he should also be the last, ensuring that everyone else knows the way to the reception. For a wedding of over 50 guests, more than 1 usher should be hired.

Don’t forget to get a present for the ushers at your wedding, something simple such as a pair of wedding cufflinks is perfect.

Updated June 1, 2011. Published April 15, 2011. Bill Szydlowski