Bridal Party Attendants are crucial to the success of any wedding.
They are the ones that take care of the behind the scenes action while you walk down the aisle at your destination wedding.
Without their help, you would be left to pick up your guests at the airport, arrange activities, and a dozen other things while trying to get married too.
But how do they know what needs to be done?
You have to decide early on what each attendant is going to be doing. Envision the flow of the wedding ahead of time, select tasks that need to be delegated, and then assign these tasks to the bridesmaids or the groomsmen.
So what tasks are most commonly assigned to bridesmaids and groomsmen at a destination wedding?
Responsibilities Of The Bridal Party Attendants
Being an attendant at a destination wedding is a bit different than a regular at home wedding. Make sure to split up the responsibilities so that one person does not have too much on their plate.
Coordinate Group Activities For Guests
Create an agenda for activities, negotiate group rates and then purchase tickets to events for guests. Make sure to provide direction on the kinds of activities you would like researched and booked for guests.
Upon arrival, this person should visit each vendor to finalize details for each activity.
Arrive A Few Days Ahead Of The Wedding
Most of your bridal party should expect to arrive a few days ahead of time so they can coordinate their activities, organize their tasks, and get some rest ahead of a hectic weekend.
Help Carry Wedding Favors, Dress
There are quite a few things that will need to be carried to the location where you are going to get married. Your bridal party should help carry things in their bags. They can also take the wedding dress back so you don’t have to lug it around on your honeymoon after.
Coordinate Transportation
One person should be responsible for arranging transportation for guests from/to the airport. Even if the hotel provides transportation, make sure to provide them with approximate arrival times. This person should also arrange for transportation to the ceremony or reception sites.
Transportation is extremely important if your destination wedding is occurring anywhere other than the US. Without proper transportation, guests may get lost and will have trouble finding their way if language is a barrier.
Coordinate Room Block Details With Hotel
Have one person get group hotel rates and block hotel rooms with the hotel sales department. A month before the wedding, they should confirm that all guests (including the bridal party) have valid reservations in the room types they requested.
In addition, confirm any special requests in regards to the room block (hospitality suite, comp rooms, rooms reserved near each other etc.)
If you need help blocking hotel rooms for a wedding, fill out this form here.
Greet Guests
Ask a few of your bridesmaids and groomsmen to arrive early to each event (Rehearsal, ceremony, and reception) to greet guests as they come in. While there, they should take a look at the setup to ensure that everything looks exactly as it should.
Once guests start to arrive, it is their responsibility to show guests to their seats, and to help make any last minute adjustments necessary to ensure the success of each event.
Vendor Check
Your maid (matron) of honor or best man should assist you in finalizing the details of your wedding with each vendor. This includes visiting each vendor, going over specific times, dates, and event details to make sure that things run smoothly on the day of your wedding.
The last thing you need is the cake arriving four hours late.
Last Minute Prep
In the hours before the actual wedding, bridesmaids are responsible for helping the bride get ready for the wedding. Ideally, they should stay with the bride the night before the wedding just to ensure that everything is ready to go for the big day.
Dress Duty
Ask one person in your bridal party to ensure that they know how to keep the wedding dress looking it’s best throughout the day. In addition, if the resort where you are getting married is going to press your dress, then make sure you have someone in the bridal party responsible for getting it to them.
Be Cordial And Helpful
Explain to your bridal party that you want your guests to feel extremely special throughout the event. Let them know to expect special requests from guests along with annoying last minute changes. Despite that, they should keep calm and be helpful at all times.
Now that you know what responsibilities to assign bridesmaids and groomsmen at your destination wedding, here are some tips to keep your bridal party happy.
Tips To Keep Your Bridal Party Happy
Don’t Put too Much Pressure On One Person
If a task you are looking to assign is too time consuming or burdensome, then consider splitting it between two or three people or asking a family member to take care of it.
After all, your bridesmaids and groomsmen are there to have fun too. They have all taken vacation time to enjoy themselves and the last thing you should do is saddle then with things that will take away their fun time.
Make Them Aware Of The Costs Before They Accept Your Bridal Party Invite
Being a bridesmaid or a groomsman at a wedding is a huge financial undertaking for many people. The cost to buy a dress (tux), shoes, plane tickets, and hotel rooms often costs a thousand dollars or more. Make sure you make everyone on your bridal party aware of these costs before they agree to join.
If possible, consider paying for a portion of the cost for each bridesmaid and groomsman. If you cannot afford it, then let them know their attendance as a bridal party member is enough of a gift so they should not buy one.
Help Them Out With The Free Rooms
Destination weddings are expensive so help lower some of their costs. For example, many hotels will offer free rooms if you reserve your room block there. If you can afford to, give the free rooms to members of the bridal party.
The Gifts For The Bridal Party Attendants
Appreciate your bridal party members by getting them some really nice gifts after you come back from the honeymoon. Throw them a special thank you party, or take them out individually to dinner to show them your appreciation.
Now that you know what the bridal party is responsible for, it is time to make a list of your bridesmaids and groomsmen so you can assign responsibilities. Doing so ahead of time will let everyone know what you expect, avoiding confusion at the wedding.
What To Do Next?
You can take a look at our destination wedding planning guide or research the various destination wedding locations.