Your wedding: 10 ways to involve loved ones 1239 views

Think creatively and you’ll realise that the planning of your big day can incorporate all your loved ones – not just the wedding party. Sarah Richardson suggests 10 important roles for your nearest and dearest.

1. Creative adviser(s)
As the person with the biggest stake in this day, the bride is usually the one who oversees the look and feel of the wedding. But every creative director needs some advisers, and bouncing ideas off creative friends or family members can only enhance the end result. It’s also more fun than doing it all on your own! “My girlfriends and I spent hours together assembling inspirational pictures from wedding websites and magazines,” says recent bride Claire. “Looking back, it was one of the most enjoyable parts of organising the whole thing.”

2. Admin assistant
From addressing envelopes to collating the RSVPs, there’s no shortage of administrative tasks to tackle when you’re planning your wedding. Enlisting a super-organised friend – or, as tradition dictates, your mum – can help ease your burden. A word of warning, however: this is the type of delegation that could be seen to be merely offloading your grunt work. To avoid upset, don’t choose an easily offended type.

3. Readers
The readers have some of the most high-profile roles at your wedding ceremony. It sounds obvious but when allocating this task, choose individuals who are happy to speak in public and who are likely to understand and properly convey the significance of the readings you’ve chosen. This will make all the difference to guests’ enjoyment of the readings. Above all, check well in advance that your readers are comfortable with the words you have chosen for them.

4. Venue-styling team
If you're decorating your reception venue yourself, a team of willing helpers is vital; the last thing you want to be doing on your wedding day is blowing up hundreds of balloons or lugging tables and chairs around. Table settings, place cards and favours are the finishing touches, but all take a surprisingly long time to get right, so the bigger your team the better – as long as you have briefed them all, that is!

5. Unofficial photographer(s)
With the advances in digital photography and facilities such as WeddingPath’s PhotoShare, it has never been easier for your guests to help you capture really special images of your wedding day. If you know one or more keen amateur snappers, chances are they’ll be hugely flattered to be asked to be your unofficial photographers for the day.

6. Order-of-service distributor
Putting someone in charge of distributing your order-of-service sheets adds a more personal touch than leaving them on seats, and leaves ushers free to… usher!

7. Witnesses
Honour two of your loved ones by asking them to witness your signing of the wedding register. This is a very visible role, and most people would be flattered to be asked to fulfil it.

8. Confetti custodian
The majority of guests won’t remember to bring their own confetti, which means you get to choose the colour and type you want! But don’t forget to put someone in charge of distributing it to guests before you leave your ceremony venue.

9. Guest-book girls/guys
A guest book full of heartfelt messages and wedding-day photos is the ultimate keepsake for many couples. Choose an outgoing friend or relative to trawl the reception collecting guests’ signatures and taking their photos. Better still, have two or three people take turns to do this, because it can be surprisingly time-consuming, and you don’t want anyone to miss out on all the celebrations.

10. Expressers of appreciation
One of the most important roles of all, this is one for the bride and groom! In most cases, a namecheck in your speeches is the most flattering acknowledgement of those who have helped you out, but a private word in their ear can work well too. Following up with a heartfelt thank-you card is another nice touch. Letting people know that their involvement has meant a lot to you will leave them with a warm glow and preserve your friendship for years to come.