Bridal Club Magazine

Little Boys In The Wedding Party - What Do They Do At The Wedding?

Just what are those cute little kids running around with pillows at weddings anyhow? Traditionally a young male; they can serve one of two purposes in wedding ceremonies - ringbearer or page. Pages help the bride who has an extra long train, while ring bearers bring the wedding rings (or fakes that look like the wedding rings) to the altar. Read on for the ring bearer side of the story.

Duties of the ringbearer
The ring bearer, traditionally a small boy aged four to eight, walks down the aisle just before the flower girl (if there is one), carrying a pillow with two rings tied to it. Since it's not the greatest idea to entrust gold rings to a carefree 6-year-old, the rings are usually fakes.

Are you the trusting sort? You may want to have someone hand him the pillow with real rings just before he begins trekking down the aisle. If he gets hold of them too far in advance, it's more likely he'll lose them.

Whatever you choose to have the ring bearer carry, be sure he's told about his duties ahead of time. It's probably best to include him in the rehearsal dinner, so the full implications of his duties (walking down an aisle all by himself with a hundred people watching) don't come as a big shock.

Who do we choose as ringbearer?
You'll probably want to choose a young family member. Perhaps your first or second cousins already have children. You can also choose a godchild or a family friend. If you don't know any young boys, don't sweat it: Having a ring bearer is a great way to include young family members in your wedding ceremony, but a ring bearer isn't a necessity. In most cases, the best man will be holding the real rings anyhow.

What does a ringbearer wear?
Although there is nothing more adorable that a little boy in a tuxedo, that is certainly not a requirement. Ring bearers can also wear a suit, or short pants and knee socks, which may be more practical for the family because he can wear them again.

Where does he sit?
As far as having them stand with the wedding party at the altar, most flower girls and ringbearers are too young to stand still through an entire ceremony. It's probably best to have their parents seated up near the front so after their walk, they can go straight to sit with Mum and Dad.

Who watches them before we begin?
There are several ways to handle this delicate situation. You may ask the maid of honour or one of the bridesmaids to hold on to him until her big moment arrives, especially if one of them is related to the little boy. You can also ask one of the parents to wait in the back with him, but that means they will either miss a portion of the ceremony or will have to walk in after it's already begun.

The receiving line. Usually the ringbearer is not required to stand in the receiving line. After his big debut, his only other requirement is getting his picture taken.