Getting people involved on the wedding day

Plankton1

Hey all, I have a big group of best friends and I really want to have them all involved in the day in some way. 3 are bridesmaids, 1 is doing a prayer of the faithful, 1 is our witness, 1 is making cocktails for the reception, 1 is buying and handing out sparklers to everyone that night...but I still need 7 more tasks or ways of having people involved!
Does anybody have any tips? It's a Catholic wedding without the mass so no gifts or anything. Any advice appreciated!

_Brian

Only 1 doing a prayer.

This could easily be stretched to 4 or 5 doing a prayer each.

Afroshack

Give a speech
Perform/do a song
Ushers
Walk around with a wedding book or video cam for people to leave messages?
Make little goody bags for guests?

jlm29

Do you think they all want to be involved? I’m not saying they wouldnt, and fair enough if they do, but I wouldn’t go creating jobs just for the sake of it.
I have a group of friends who have had us do prayers of the faithful etc at their weddings, and I’d be just as happy to sit in the congregation and not have to trot up on the alter in my heels, worrying about tripping myself up or mispronouncing a word

Plankton1

Thanks guys! We have 4 prayers of the faithful and 2 readings but family members and grooms friend are doing the rest. Brother is usher. The rest are great suggestions! Yes they've all said they'd love to be involved so I'm trying to include everyone

GingerLily

Jobs you could create:
Look after bathroom basketa
Usher guests to sign guestbook
Look after the band for drinks (soft drinks)
Look after photographer for food /drinks
Umbrellas
Flip flops/flats for girls
Help groomsmen with gifts

I don't think it's necessary to give your friends jobs btw

The only thing I would be pushed to do is ask them to keep the dance floor going - if they can do this they've have done you a massive help!

Wellyd

GingerLily wrote: »

The only thing I would be pushed to do is ask them to keep the dance floor going - if they can do this they've have done you a massive help!

I make it my business to get up and dance at weddings especially if the dance floor is bare. In the last few years the amount of my friends that have texted me after their weddings to say thanks for dancing! You’d would swear it was a chore the way they say it, but I love a good dance!

Water John

Wellyd, that is a great point and would be the best contribution from your friends. Had a family wedding recently, and getting a buzz going and keeping it going on the floor is critical to good memories.

Plankton1

Thanks all. They'll defo be the first on the dancefloor, great idea

GalwayGrrrrrl

I rang the church bells at my friends wedding with a group of school friends- wasn’t arranged in advance and none of us knew how to do it properly! Was sat near back of church and old lady who worked at church (sacristan?) asked us to do it as no one was booked or available. So we rang the bells as bride and groom left the church. Great fun and a nice “gift” to the happy couple. Sounded okay too!

MattressRick

GingerLily wrote: »

Jobs you could create:
Look after bathroom basketa
Usher guests to sign guestbook
Look after the band for drinks (soft drinks)
Look after photographer for food /drinks
Umbrellas
Flip flops/flats for girls
Help groomsmen with gifts

I don't think it's necessary to give your friends jobs btw

The only thing I would be pushed to do is ask them to keep the dance floor going - if they can do this they've have done you a massive help!

Jesus if I was asked to maintain the baskets in the bathrooms I wouldn't be impressed!

woodchuck

MattressRick wrote: »

Jesus if I was asked to maintain the baskets in the bathrooms I wouldn't be impressed!

I think they just mean assemble the baskets?

I'd be more put out being asked to usher guests to sign the guestbook!! Wasn't there a sex in the city episode where Miranda was lumped with that job? :P

GingerLily

woodchuck wrote: »

MattressRick wrote: »

Jesus if I was asked to maintain the baskets in the bathrooms I wouldn't be impressed!

I think they just mean assemble the baskets?

I'd be more put out being asked to usher guests to sign the guestbook!! Wasn't there a sex in the city episode where Miranda was lumped with that job? :P

Lucky you aren't the OP's friend.

Friends who want to help will ask and you'll be able to give genuine jobs IF they're required!

Pelvis

Is turning up not enough op?

rainbowtrout

GingerLily wrote: »

Jobs you could create:
Look after bathroom basketa
Usher guests to sign guestbook
Look after the band for drinks (soft drinks)
Look after photographer for food /drinks
Umbrellas
Flip flops/flats for girls
Help groomsmen with gifts

I don't think it's necessary to give your friends jobs btw

The only thing I would be pushed to do is ask them to keep the dance floor going - if they can do this they've have done you a massive help!

Too many people involved with gifts is when they start to go missing. If one card doesn't turn up, who had it? Not suggesting the OPs friends are thieves but it's easier to have one person accountable for gifts and that is what the bridesmaids and groomsmen are for.

MattressRick

I wouldn't dream of asking friends to do jobs for the wedding. Did they actually come to you and say they'd love to help out? If not leave them be.

woodchuck

MattressRick wrote: »

I wouldn't dream of asking friends to do jobs for the wedding. Did they actually come to you and say they'd love to help out? If not leave them be.

I'm sorry, but I have to agree. Did you ask or did they offer without any prompting?

Your friends may also have very different ideas of helping out. Maybe they pictured helping you getting ready. E.g. having some bubbly in the bridal suite while telling you how gorgeous you look and helping button up the dress or something.

A lot of the suggestions here will actually take away from the day for them. If you're stuck ushering people to a guestbook, you can't really enjoy the reception. If you're looking after the band making sure they're sorted for drinks, you can't really relax and enjoy the evening yourself because you're constantly looking out for someone else. And I'm sorry, but they're BS jobs anyway...

MattressRick

woodchuck wrote: »

I'm sorry, but I have to agree. Did you ask or did they offer without any prompting?

Your friends may also have very different ideas of helping out. Maybe they pictured helping you getting ready. E.g. having some bubbly in the bridal suite while telling you how gorgeous you look and helping button up the dress or something.

A lot of the suggestions here will actually take away from the day for them. If you're stuck ushering people to a guestbook, you can't really enjoy the reception. If you're looking after the band making sure they're sorted for drinks, you can't really relax and enjoy the evening yourself because you're constantly looking out for someone else. And I'm sorry, but they're BS jobs anyway...

They are indeed pointless jobs.

mcgiggles

Plankton1 wrote:

Hey all, I have a big group of best friends and I really want to have them all involved in the day in some way. 3 are bridesmaids, 1 is doing a prayer of the faithful, 1 is our witness, 1 is making cocktails for the reception, 1 is buying and handing out sparklers to everyone that night...but I still need 7 more tasks or ways of having people involved! Does anybody have any tips? It's a Catholic wedding without the mass so no gifts or anything. Any advice appreciated!

I have a big group of friends and having them at the wedding was enough for me, one did do a reading for me.. When people say "if theres anything i can do to help, they don't generally mean - give me a job i have to spend money on" its more like coming up to the day if you need anything picked up or dropped anywhere.. Or any running around they can do. Unless they asked I wouldn't be lumping them with a job on the day, especially one that costs money!

Rachiee

I think theres a huge difference in being part of the wedding by being in the bridal party or doing something at the ceremony and having a job at the reception. I dont think having a job at the reception makes you part of the wedding in any way.

MattressRick

While you're at it you should get one of them to make sure there's enough toilet roll in the jacks 😀

Teyla Emmagan

Nobody wants a job on the day, they are just being polite OP. Let them off to enjoy themselves.