Ah, this wedding sang and danced. The main heroes of the solemn action – the bride and groom, followed by parents, relatives, friends, colleagues, guests. An important role in the marriage ceremony and wedding feast is given to a boyfriend and a friend. Not for nothing they are called honorary witness and maid of honor, dressed in smart ribbons with such inscriptions, and still long ponder who to take for such an important mission – to witness the registration of the marriage. What are the duties of a mate at a wedding and what should a mate do at a wedding? What are the omens of witnesses at the wedding – about this and we’ll talk.
The official functions of honorary witnesses have been abolished, now during the wedding ceremony in the County Recorder/Clerk they do not put their signatures in the register. Nevertheless, the wedding does not go without a second young couple. The traditional concerns of boyfriend and girlfriend have not been abolished, they are still in force. Best friend and girlfriend – a strong and reliable support for the newlyweds at the wedding, so that this day was the happiest and most memorable for a lifetime.
Who to take as a boyfriend and a friend?
Over this question puzzles future newlyweds. There are also in this matter of tradition, custom and zabobs. In the West, next to the bride is a flock of girls in matching dresses, who act as honorary witnesses. The same goes for the bridegroom’s side. In our country it is considered that it is better not to take married, divorced, and in love people to this role. They can bring misfortune and discord in family life. So say the omens of a boyfriend and a friend at the wedding. In fact, if we think logically, what married witness will leave his wife and will walk around all day on the arm with a bridesmaid. On the other hand, would a faithful wife set a bad example for a newlywed by spending time at a wedding with another man. Sensible people will take a free young guy and girl to be their witnesses, who will share the function of honorary witnesses equally.
How to recognize witnesses
Buddy and buddy have their own wedding attributes, which the bride and groom choose from the salon. These can be bright ribbons or boutonnieres – bouquets of flowers that are attached to the lapel of the man’s jacket and the girl’s dress. It is desirable that the suit and dress of the couple were in harmony, looked solemn, as befits the event, but did not overshadow the outfits of the young. Witnesses act as a backdrop during video recording and photography of the newlyweds.
The dual roles of witnesses
It is the responsibility of the wedding buddy and buddy to relieve the newlyweds of the hassle and minutiae by taking care of the organizational details. The bride and groom have done their best in preparing for the wedding, and now the faithful assistants, the witnesses, can fill in for them.
- Help with decorating cars for the wedding escort. All the attributes: ribbons, bows, balloons are bought. It remains to organize this process, involving guests and friends who arrived at the celebration at the wheel.
- Take the guests to the cars to accompany the newlyweds to the County Recorder/Clerk and travel after the registration.
- Take responsibility for organizing refreshments for the guests in the County Recorder/Clerk and for the journey after the registration, and for this, try not to forget to take champagne, drinks and snacks. The main thing is to have enough for everyone.
- Seating guests at the banquet table.
- Take pictures with the newlyweds.
- The most interesting thing is to be involved in numerous contests and pranks during the feast. Toastmasters will not allow buddy and buddy to sit on the sidelines.
Buddy and Buddy have a lot to do, but their main task is to try to create an atmosphere that reigns only at the wedding: joking, having fun, proclaiming toasts, and shouting “Bitter!”.
Duties of a bridesmaid
What should a bridesmaid do at the wedding? A good friend will share all the important moments not only on such a responsible day, but also in the preparation for the wedding will be by the side of the bride. The choice of wedding attire alone is such a pleasant, but also not easy task.
So, the maid of honor at the wedding and her duties:
- Buddy accompanies the newlywed in hikes in wedding salons to give sound advice with the choice of a dress and the unchangeable attributes of the bride’s attire – veil, jewelry, garter, shoes, lingerie.
- You can’t do without a friend’s help on the wedding day from early in the morning, when the bride is getting dressed. Leaving the house, it is not superfluous to take cosmetics, napkins, some feminine trifles, and carry a purse, will have an indispensable friend.
- By the way, the friend will be a kind of mirror for the newlywed. What is the duty of the bridesmaid at the wedding is to make sure that the bride looked flawless all day.
- To help the bride accept congratulations and flowers from guests after the wedding ceremony in the County Recorder/Clerk.
The list of duties of the bridesmaid at the wedding can be continued. What the maid of honor should do at the wedding is better to discuss with the bride-friend in advance and do not lose sight of anything. Together the girls can organize and hold a bachelorette party, discuss the scenario of the wedding celebration, take care of musical accompaniment and inviting a toastmaster.
Another important role of the witness at the wedding – to participate in the rite of redemption of the young and try to get the groom a solid bargain. To help fill up the young couple’s bank is also a possible initiative on the part of a friend, so that the guests donated as much money as possible for diapers and other needs of the young family.
What is the special responsibility of a bridesmaid at a wedding? If the groom is distracted, then you need to be on the lookout: the bride is going to be kidnapped. Who else but a bridesmaid will have to protect the bride from the brisk guests, who will try to steal her? If this happens, she will have to answer to the kidnappers who demand a ransom for the young woman’s return.
Duties of a witness
A great number of duties fall on the shoulders of the groomsmen’s witnesses. The young man will not only have to wear his honorary ribbon, but also perform a responsible job. Who else better than a close friend will be able to find the words to support, to brighten the excitement of the groom on such a joyous and challenging day of the marriage ceremony?
So, what does a witness do at a wedding:
- Helps the groom clean up before meeting the bride.
- Checks before he leaves to make sure passports and rings are not forgotten, the bride’s bouquet, props.
- Helps to conduct with honor and dignity the ritual of redemption of the bride, taking part in competitions, prompting the groom’s answers to riddles.
- Pours the newlyweds and guests, trying to keep their cheerful mood from the County Recorder/Clerk to the banquet hall.
- Helps to accept gifts and take care of their safety.
- Does not sit idly by at the banquet but entertains the newlyweds and guests with active participation in the wedding program. Goes on about the toastmaster: and dance, and sing, and play along at the right moment.
- After the banquet helps the newlyweds to go home and sees off the guests.
- To be by the side of a friend – his companion throughout the wedding. It’s not easy for them: everyone is drinking, partying, and they have to vent.
The witnesses can breathe a sigh of relief after the feast: the newlyweds have their wedding night, the guests have dispersed, and they can relax and drink properly to the health of the young.
Omen about witnesses at weddings
The people live quite a few wedding omens and traditions. Believe in them or not – it’s up to the young. The wedding ceremony is filled with rituals, with the help of which they seek to remove adversity and add happiness to the family life of the newlyweds.
- To shield the newlyweds from the eyes of strangers, the bride hides her face under the veil and does not allow strangers to touch her dress. Witnesses and witnesses at the wedding by omen should always be close to the bride and groom, protecting them from everything unkind, taking on themselves envy and leering.
- There are some lucky traditions. One such omen is that a bridesmaid at a wedding will catch the bouquet of the bride and soon she will marry herself. To get married sooner, the bridesmaids are advised to inadvertently pick up the tip of the bride’s wedding dress, or to pull the corner of the tablecloth of the wedding table more often.
- Even today there is a good tradition to collect money for the dowry of the firstborn. The witnesses at the wedding guess who the couple will be the first to give birth to: in which piggy bank – pink or blue there will be more money, and he will be nursed by his future parents.
- And the omen of who to choose as a bride and groom’s confidantes – a married woman and a married man, or a single man and a girl not bound by marriage ties, is connected with the orthodox tradition of weddings. For centuries, it has been customary that witnesses at weddings become the child’s godparents. The church advises that godparents should be unmarried.
There are still a lot of superstitions and superstitions that can only make you smile. There is probably no need to list them all. It is better to wish the bride and groom family well-being, happiness, and love. God grant that, together with the honorable witnesses, they meet only on holidays and reach their golden wedding anniversary.