Helpers at your wedding are crucial for a successful, well-planned out day. Little jobs to many people make for a light work load and no one thinks that they are "working" at your wedding.
Guest Book Attendants
These helpers are instrumental in making sure that your guests sign your guest book. Not having the traditional sign-in book? Then these helpers are even more valuable as they will help your guests understand what to do. They are also responsible for making sure that all guest book materials are packed away when the wedding starts as well as transporting the materials to your reception site and setting up at that venue for those guests that forgot to sign in or who may have come late.
Program Assistants
The job of a Program Assistant is to make sure that your guests receive a ceremony program. They may stand just at the entrance of the ceremony area or at the guest sign-in table. You could enlist the help of your Guest Book Attendants to do this job or your ushers as well. If you would rather, have an usher place a program on every other chair or in the pews of your ceremony space just before your guests arrive. You could even place a stack of programs at the beginning of each pew or in a beautiful basket decorated in your wedding colors.
Ushers
The job of an Usher is a very important role. They are the people that will assistant in seating your guests. Before the wedding begins, you will want to instruct your Ushers about making sure that they seat guests in a uniform and balanced manner, meaning that no one side of the ceremony space is more filled than the other. This creates a very unbalance look for your photographer not to mention confusing guests.
When seating guests, tradition holds that the bride’s family is seated on the left while the Groom’s family is seated on the right; friends of both are seated on which side they would like. An Usher will extend his arm to the female guest while the male accompanying her will follow behind. The Usher will then stop just shy of the seat or pew while her male accompanist will help her into her seat.
Ushers may be asked for directions, give out programs, asked for the time, or assistant anyone with special physical needs. They are also the noise keepers—meaning that they may have to ask a parent to remove a fussy child. They should always ask guests right before seating them to turn off any cell phone devices. They will be the last people to close the ceremony space doors and to make sure that any late comers are taken care of. For that reason, one or two Ushers should always sit at the back of the ceremony space.
You will need one Usher per 50 guests.
Host and Hostess
The job of a Host and Hostess is one of great importance. They are the greeters to your ceremony space, thus the first people that your guests will see and talk to. Make sure to ask people, who will be filling this role, who are pleasant speaking, well mannered and understand that they will be meeting with many different personalities. A Host may be asked to pass out programs or watch for wayward children. They will be asked for directions to restrooms, ceremony door and space requirements, guest book sign-in, how to get to the reception, and many other directions. They need to know where wheelchairs or walkers are located and where the handicap facilities are. They need to wear a watch as they will be the time keepers to make sure that the ceremony starts on time; they will ask the guest book attendants to close up the book 5 minutes before the ceremony starts and make sure that the ushers are seating guests in a timely manner. In a pinch, a Host may be asked to usher, hand out programs or help hold the bride’s bouquet as she adjusts her train right before she walks up the aisle. They will make sure to keep the noise level down as well as tell parents with small children about the child care facilities that you are providing,
You should have two sets of Host and Hostess if your guest count is over 175. One set will stay behind after the ceremony to make sure guests have reception directions while the second set will leave the wedding ceremony immediately after it is over to make sure that they are greeting your guests that arrive to the reception venue.
At your reception, your Host and Hostess will be instrumental for reminding guests to find their table assignment, knowing what tables are reserved, releasing guest tables for buffets, giving bar directions, letting the cater know when they are running out of plates or a particular dish, or letting guests know where to find restroom facilities. They can also let the DJ know when to adjust the noise level in the room. Of course, your Host can also pitch in as a bouncer if needed!
Because the job of a Host and Hostess require that people get along well together, it may be best to ask one or two sets of husbands and wives.
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