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Do You Need Ushers At a Wedding?

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Is your big day getting closer and you’re still not sure if you should have an usher or who it should be?

No worries because we’re here today to cover that part and share a couple of details that may help you clear out doubts.

The usher is that first smiling and hospitable face your guests see right as they arrive at your wedding.

Having ushers certainly brings an air of formality to your wedding as well as helps with keep things organized.

Let’s check out some more things you should know about this special role.

the bride and bridesmaids

What Does The Usher Do?

Ushers actually have more responsibilities when it comes to formal ceremonies with more guests.

Either way, their main role remains the same. First of all, they greet guests.

If you’re going for a traditional ceremony, you want a kind, cheerful, and pleasant usher that will greet your beloved guests when they arrive.

To be precise – you want at least a couple of them so your guests don’t have to wait for too long to get to their seats.

Also, ushers will be there to hand out programs as well as inform guests on the entire wedding plan.

After that part, they’ll escort people to their seats. Well-mannered ushers will offer an arm to female guests, especially if they see they arrived alone.

If the seating is open, ushers are supposed to ask guests if they want to sit on a particular side as well as discuss any of their seating preferences.

Also, they can help with some other parts of ceremony preparation such as testing the sound system, arranging chairs, or some of the small, yet important last-minute tasks that can pop up on your big day.

Additionally, Ushers may assist with the parking arrangements near the venue, or in conveying practical information like alternative exits and the location of restrooms.

Who Should Be Ushers At a Wedding?

Are you looking for a way to include some of your beloved family members in your wedding, but you already have groomsmen and bridesmaids?

No worries, giving them a role of a wedding usher is also an excellent choice and a great way to show them you’d really like them to be a part of your wedding.

That way, you’ll have someone you can trust greeting your guests, communicating with them, or generally getting to know the rest of the family – if they haven’t met before.

Also, make sure people you choose are familiar with ceremony needs so you don’t have to worry about technicalities or responsibilities they’re in charge of.

lady usher at wedding

Do Wedding Ushers Have To Be Male? Can You Have Female Ushers?

Well, traditionally, ushers are male, but no one says you need to follow all of the given rules.

It’s your big day, so, yes, of course you can have female ushers.

It’s actually something that depends on personal preferences; some couples prefer to follow the tradition, while others like to spice it up with some of their own ideas.

“Usher” is not a word nor role specifically related to men, so feel free to choose friends, cousins, family, or generally people you are close to regardless of gender.

Make sure it’s someone who can easily talk to strangers and is glad to help the guests with the seating and the rest of the tasks.

How Many Ushers Do You Need?

Now, the true question here is – how many people do you intend to invite?

General rules say one usher per 50 guests, but you can modify that according to your preferences.

If you have a smaller wedding, you can still have two or more ushers, because that way no one will wait for too long to be taken to their seat.

Keep in mind older guests or disabled attendees need a bit more time to be taken to their places, so make sure you have enough ushers to cover that part too.

In any case, it’s better there are more ushers so they can keep each other company after finishing all their regular tasks.

Do Wedding Ushers Need To Match?

Ushers should definitely be dressed according to the entire ceremony.

Their wedding style should stick to the one attendants go for, and the simplest way to do that is picking the same or similar color.

For instance, ushers can rent the same tuxes groomsmen and the groom have.

When it comes to usherettes (female ushers), you can go with rather unique, yet matching dresses or some other elegant clothing combination you might prefer.

Simply play out with different styles and find some interesting details that will help you match their clothes.

bridesmaids wearing pastel colored dresses

Are Ushers Part of The Wedding Party?

This part is completely up to you.

Some people don’t bring ushers to the wedding party, while others prefer to have the whole “team” both at the ceremony and after it.

Where Do Ushers Sit At a Wedding Reception?

This is another thing that completely depends on your own preferences.

Sometimes, an usher will be a part of the processional so he may be seated at the front of the ceremony – but only after all other guests are in their seats.

On the other hand, plenty of ushers sit down next to their friends or some other people they know.

The important thing is to keep everything organized and on time, so the usher usually takes an available place after escorting everyone to their seats.

How Old Are Ushers Suppose To Be?

They can basically be of any age.

However, in most cases, ushers are some younger family members, since older ones have some other responsibilities to cover.

What’s The Difference Between a Wedding Usher And a Groomsman?

These two have completely different roles.

You’ll easily recognize the groomsmen since they stand close to the groom during the wedding ceremony.

On the other hand, ushers are there to guide people to their seats before the entire ceremony starts.

Unlike groomsmen, ushers often take a seat after everything is set and all guests have taken their places.

groomsman and ushers

Can Groomsmen Be Ushers?

Technically, groomsmen can be ushers.

Even though they have different duties, some couples prefer for the groomsmen to cover the usher’s tasks together with their groomsmen’s role.

Sometimes a couple goes with a casual wedding so they completely skip the ‘usher’ part, allowing the guests to find seats on their own.

If you’re thinking of giving your groomsmen usher’s duties, before that check if they will be too occupied with some other tasks so you make sure they’ll have enough time to do it all.

Some Final Words

So, do you really need an usher?

To be honest, not exactly. There are many casual weddings where couples prefer to give usher tasks to their bridesmaids or groomsmen.

That way, they cover the guest greeting, escorting people to their seats, and all other responsibilities ushers usually do.

ushers at the wedding holding top hats

Still, if you want to have a well-organized and more traditional wedding, you’ll definitely appreciate a well-mannered and cheerful person you can rely on when it comes to greeting the guests and simply giving them all the important information.

Plus, having an usher is really an elegant option that brings an air of formality as well as takes us back to traditional times when things like these were an inevitable part of a wedding ceremony.

All in all, the usher is an optional choice that completely depends on the couple’s preferences.

What do you say – a wedding day with or without the usher?

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