The creation of a new family is a celebration that many newlyweds want to share with relatives and close friends. Hence the tradition of inviting friends of the bride and groom to the celebration. Custom suggests that the closest friends of the newlyweds, that is, those who are not indifferent to the fate of the couple, should act as witnesses at the wedding. We suggest you figure out what role is assigned to best men.
Witnesses at a wedding - who are they and why are they needed?
During the Soviet Union, the state registration of marriage required the presence of two witnesses. Perhaps this tradition was borrowed from the church, where best men are sure to accompany the newlyweds at weddings. It is possible that the rule was invented as an additional check of the seriousness of the couple’s intentions. Be that as it may, the presence of witnesses at the wedding ceremony at the registry office today is not required. The wedding may well take place without them. However, young people are in no hurry to abandon such a wonderful tradition. The fact is that most wedding ceremonies and signs are in one way or another connected with witnesses. In addition, young people partially take on the burden of organizing the celebration and act as presenters. We can say that without this couple the holiday will lose its charm. During a church ceremony, it will be completely difficult to do without the help of best men. They are the ones who hold rather heavy crowns over the heads of the newlyweds.
Who can be a witness
There are traditions according to which good friends or relatives are invited as witnesses at a wedding.
It is better if the role of witness and bridesmaid is played by young unmarried people. Of course, there are no strict restrictions when conducting the ceremony; the assistants of the newlyweds can be married or married.
Some girls invite their friends for this purpose or, copying European traditions, surround themselves with a company of girls dressed in the same outfits.
But most often the honorable role of witness falls to the best friend.
The choice depends on the format of the celebration itself, the main thing is that the witnesses are responsible and also have at least minimal organizational skills . Undoubtedly, young people have the right to decide for themselves how their most memorable day will go.
But if the marriage ceremony is complemented by a wedding , the requirements for best men will be more stringent.
- First of all, these must be Orthodox people, baptized in the church. Otherwise, the priest may reject their candidacies.
- They can be spouses; church rules do not prohibit this.
- In addition, the groomsmen should not be much shorter than the young ones in height, otherwise it will simply be awkward for them to hold the crowns.
Newlyweds dance
If we consider the dance of young people as a gift to guests, then this is also a good option. The bride and groom do not necessarily have to dance a slow dance all the time; you can give the guests an excellent energetic dance and even with elements of the so-called “dance decor”, for example, a dance with umbrellas, or with chairs, or a cane for the groom, and the bride with a fan. If the dance is at the beginning of the wedding, then maybe it will be calm, because the guests are just getting ready for fun, eating and drinking, but if the wedding is coming to an end and the guests have pretty much “stayed down”, then a catchy dance will be such a suitable gift that the guests will start dancing along , and a fun wedding is guaranteed.
And the young people themselves can dance for the guests. Here's an example:
Dance is a great addition to a monetary greeting at a wedding, so dance, rejoice and congratulate! And the main thing is to rehearse the movements well so that the dance looks beautiful and harmonious, then such a gift will go off with a bang and will definitely please the bride and groom!
Responsibilities of a witness
Pre-wedding chores are not only exciting, but also take a lot of time.
The witness will have to take on part of the organizational process, for example, find a good photographer, fill out invitations, invite a toastmaster and musicians.
Choosing a restaurant or cafe is usually done by young people or their parents, but this does not mean that the help of friends will be superfluous. Witnesses can select options for banquet venues with suitable prices.
As a rule, volunteer helpers bear the responsibilities of purchasing props for competitions, decorating the banquet hall, and putting together a music and entertainment program.
hen-party
The tradition of girls' get-togethers on the eve of a wedding goes back centuries. Getting together on the eve of the celebration, the young ladies saw off their friend to a new life.
The bachelorette party was a whole series of rituals, where the future newlywed was dressed up, combed her hair, accompanying the whole process with singing.
Today's brides prefer to have a more fun time. In addition, they are unlikely to want to have a sleepless night on the eve of the celebration. It is better to hold a bachelorette party a few days before the wedding.
The task of organizing a bachelorette party falls entirely on the witness, since it should be a surprise for the bride.
Morning before the wedding
On the day of the celebration, there is usually enough trouble for all its participants.
The witness will have to get up early to arrive at the bride's house. Her task is to help the young woman get dressed, prepare ladies’ little things that may be needed at the registry office or at a banquet.
By the way, one of the relatives will have to carry handkerchiefs, perfume, nail polish, lipstick, spare stockings and other necessary items, because the bride and her assistant will have their hands full with flowers.
The duties of the witness include helping to decorate the wedding procession.
Ransom
The ransom ceremony takes place according to the script, the main participants in the action are friends, neighbors and relatives of the bride, led by the witness.
The script for the comic quest, which the groom and his groomsmen must go through, can be downloaded on the Internet and then modified independently.
To conduct a bride ransom, the witness will need artistic abilities, a good mood and pre-prepared props.
Registry office and church
The task of the witness at the registry office is to help the bride correct her hairstyle and outfit, to ensure that the rings, as well as the passports of the future spouses, are given to the employee of the institution.
After the guests are invited to go to the wedding hall, the witnesses go there along with the newlyweds and stand next to them. When the time comes to sign the registration book, the witnesses do this after the bride and groom.
In the church, witnesses have a difficult mission. They will have to hold the crowns over the heads of the newlyweds while they partake of the wine and exchange vows of fidelity. The couple themselves and their witnesses will have to visit the church to confess before the ceremony.
The witness must take care of the appropriate attire. Hair should be covered with a scarf, open shoulders and neckline with a cape. Only women in traditional clothes are allowed into the church, so if you decide to wear trousers at the wedding, stock up on a long skirt that you can wear on top.
Newlyweds' walk
After the wedding ceremony, the young spouses and guests present at the registry office go for a walk around the city.
There are many folk signs that are designed to make a marriage long and happy.
One of them is mandatory travel across seven bridges. There are also more recent traditions, such as laying flowers at the monument to soldiers. Some couples visit the site of their first meeting or memorable date.
Of course, the main goal of such a voyage is beautiful photographs against picturesque backgrounds.
The witness’s task is to ensure that everything is okay with the young wife and to help correct her hair and makeup.
During the walk, it is customary to drink champagne with light snacks. Witnesses will also have to provide all this for guests. They also make sure that there is no garbage left at the place of visit.
Responsibilities of a witness
The groomsman also plays an important role at the wedding.
It is to him that young people entrust their wedding rings; the most “difficult” tasks at the redemption ceremony fall to his share.
In addition, the witness has to keep an eye on the groom so that he does not do anything stupid either before the wedding or during the official banquet. In general, being a witness at a friend’s wedding is a pleasant, but very responsible mission.
Wedding preparations
The witness can provide all possible assistance to the future newlyweds by taking on some of the responsibilities for organizing the wedding.
He can be entrusted with ordering cars for the newlyweds' cortege, selecting alcoholic beverages, and developing a walking route after the ceremony at the registry office.
In addition, the witness will have to help in purchasing props for wedding events. They can do this together with the groom or bridesmaid.
Bachelor party
A farewell to single life for the future newlywed is arranged by his friends.
A witness is trusted to organize the bachelor party. He thinks over the cultural program, notifies other friends about the venue, and prepares memorable surprises for the hero of the occasion, designed to remind him of his bachelorhood.
Another important mission of the witness is to look after the future newlywed so that he does not go beyond the bounds of decency.
The groom's friend will also have to make sure that the event participants get home safely.
Morning before the wedding
On the day of the event, the witness comes to the groom's home, after which they go together to pick up the bride.
The groomsman needs to take care of documents for the registry office and rings, and together with the groom, purchase flowers for the bride and her friend.
The decoration of the wedding procession is also the responsibility of the witnesses. Major decorations that need to be attached in advance will need to be delivered to drivers the day before. You can decorate your car with flowers and ribbons before going to the registry office.
Bride ransom ritual
In the bride's house, the most difficult task awaits the witness - a quest called “bride ransom”.
Indeed, the groom’s friend takes the brunt of the blow here. He will have to solve riddles and pay a ransom. You need to stock up on small bills and sweets in advance. Of course, the ransom ritual is just a fun game, but you will have to follow the rules.
Registry office and church
At a civil wedding ceremony, the witness at the very beginning hands over the documents of the couple and the rings to the registry office employee. After the witnesses leave their autographs, following the newlyweds, they will have to organize the guests for photography and then seat them in their cars.
The groom's friend, as a representative of the stronger half, is obliged to help the ladies by opening and holding the car doors.
In the church, the witnesses together spread the towel on which the newlyweds stand during the ceremony.
Walk around the city
When visiting memorable places, the witness's responsibilities include opening bottles of champagne and pouring alcohol for guests. You will also need to take care not to leave trash behind. It is better to store bags for collecting it in advance in the glove compartment of the car. Again, the witness will need to seat the guests in their cars and remind the drivers of the route so that they can navigate in time without creating emergency situations on the road.
Appearance
Witnesses' outfits should match the theme of the wedding. The classic ceremony calls for formal attire for men with a matching shirt. Modern wedding fashion allows you to choose any color combinations.
Girls are given complete freedom. They can wear a dress, a pantsuit, or a jumpsuit. However, the witness should not forget about a sense of proportion; nevertheless, her outfit should not be discordant with the bride’s dress or distract attention.
Wedding scenario
The witnesses develop the scenario for the celebration together with the future newlyweds.
The main task is to decide on the main concept of the wedding. After this, you can borrow a suitable script from the Internet and modify it.
You need to take care in advance not only of the texts, but also of the musical accompaniment of the event.
The main event of the banquet should be the first dance of the newlyweds. The bride and groom select the music for its performance, but the witnesses will have to make sure that it is played at the right moment.
Dance from the bridesmaids
As for dancing as a gift from the bridesmaids, things are better with this. Girls are always eager to dance and you don’t need to think long about costumes, because just dresses and heels will look good.
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But if for a greater dancing effect, your girlfriends can rent costumes, or make them themselves from old clothes. The main thing is to decide on the style of the dance.
The girlfriends also need to group and decide where each person’s place is during the dance, so that the whole composition and movements look harmonious and impressive. It is worth spending time on rehearsals so that the dance is beautiful and the movements are performed simultaneously and synchronously.
A dance that will be started by the bridesmaids and finished by the groom's friends will look great. Such a unique change will be received with a bang by the guests and the newlyweds themselves. You can start the dance with tango, and end with an energetic “boogie-woogie”, or “tiktonik”, or any rehearsed fast movements.
Here are a couple of dance examples from the bridesmaids:
Help with banquets
Upon arrival at a restaurant or cafe, witnesses will need to ensure that all guests are comfortable. The seating arrangement of the guests rests on their shoulders. If there is no toastmaster at the holiday, the young friends will also have to make toasts and lead the feast. Witnesses are simply obliged to take an active part in dancing, games and entertainment, setting an infectious example for others. Together with older relatives of the newlyweds, witnesses must monitor the serving of dishes to the table and control the behavior of the guests.
Gifts and flowers
Since wedding guests certainly come with bouquets, witnesses need to take care that the flowers do not occupy the hands of the newlyweds. Some plants can be placed on tables in vases prepared in advance, the rest should also be placed in water so that they do not wither. The assistants' responsibilities also include collecting gifts and money for the needs of the young family. As a rule, it is customary to collect rompers for the firstborn or a wedding voyage, but you can come up with your own scenario.
Dancing from parents
Parents mostly dance a calm, slow dance, but to add creativity and zest to the celebration of the wedding of their beloved children, the father and mother of both parties can perform a cheerful, catchy, cool dance. An energetic dance from the parents of the newlyweds will fit perfectly into the atmosphere of fun at the wedding and will delight the groom, bride, guests and videographer.
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Parents of young people can give their children this dance:
https://youtu.be/1PbSpHJAyns
Additional assistance for newlyweds
The bridesmaid must ensure that the bride's hair and makeup look good throughout the celebration. To do this, she needs to have with her a minimum set of cosmetics, matting wipes, hairspray, hairpins (if her friend has long hair).
The witness must support the groom morally and ensure that he does not abuse alcohol. As a man, he will need to court the ladies sitting next to him.
Witnesses, as a rule, look after the guests, resolving conflicts that arise between them, so that the wedding is not overshadowed by a fight.
What should a girl who is to become a witness at a wedding do?
In general, a witness at a wedding can be called the right hand of the bride, as well as the one who provides moral support when necessary.
She should always be nearby: bring something, hem, tint, cover the bride in unforeseen situations.
Everything must be under the control of the witness, because the happy future of her best friend is at stake.
In addition to all the little things, control of the entire wedding process falls on the shoulders of the witness. The bride has a lot of different worries on this day and she cannot keep track of everything.
On the second day of the wedding
According to tradition, weddings in Rus' last not one day, but two or even three. If this is a village feast, the newlyweds and guests move from one house to another, that is, they spend the first day with the groom, and the second with the bride. Citizens prefer to continue the celebration at home or outdoors. According to tradition, on the second day, a couple of witnesses kiss each other while shouting “sweet,” so that the life of the young couple will be carefree. The second day of the wedding is reserved for reckless fun. Witnesses act as organizers of competitions, and not as participants.
The roles of witnesses at a wedding involve not only participation in the wedding ceremony, but also responsibility for the fate of the family in the future. There is a tradition in which volunteers save a bottle of champagne from the table for the four of them to drink at one of the couple's anniversaries.
Give a (short) best man speech
What does a witness do at a wedding? Perhaps one of the most visible (and anxiety-inducing) responsibilities of a best friend: the celebratory toast.
The good news is that it's much easier than you think. Think back to any wedding you've ever been to: do you remember the best guy speech? Probably only if it was inappropriate and created an awkward mood.
So don't worry and follow these super simple guidelines to give the perfect short speech at your best friend's wedding:
- Be brief.
Your speech is probably one of several that everyone may be looking forward to. Pick one great story and tell it well.
- Be careful.
If you think you're funny, get three confirmations of it, and then add a few more jokes. But don't overdo it. Forced jokes are always worse than calm but loving speech.
