Ever wondered what a wedding usher does and why they’re needed? In our latest quick guide, we wanted to run through the duties of wedding ushers. 

What is a wedding usher?

An usher is traditionally a male friend or relation of the bride or groom that has been given the task of showing guests to their seats for the wedding ceremony. Although it’s essentially a minor part of a wedding day, it’s an excellent task for people who want to be involved in your wedding day that won’t play a significant role, such as a groomsman or the best man.

What duties do wedding ushers have?

If you decide to have ushers at your wedding, some of the duties they might be tasked with carrying out can be found in this list;

• Showing guests where to park their cars
• Helping guests from their carts to the ceremony
• Escorting people away from the reception afterward
• Walking guests to their arranged seats for the wedding ceremony and directing the guests on where they should be sitting
• Handing out ‘Order of Service’ paper sheets out to the wedding guests
• Standing near the doors for any potential latecomers to show them to their seats without it becoming something that could interrupt your ceremony
• Walking both the mother of the bride and mother of the groom to their seats for the wedding ceremony
• Helping arrange chairs & set up for the ceremony
• Showing guests where bathrooms are located
• Directing wedding guests to their proper positions if they’re involved in wedding photos

The general idea is to be a kind of background assistant for you on your wedding day. They’ll take care of all the small jobs like making sure everything is set up correctly, and guests are seated and taken care of so that you don’t need to add any additional stress on your wedding day.

Who should I choose to be an usher at my wedding? 

While ushers are essentially a minor role at a wedding ceremony, it’s still important to pick the right people to take up this role for you. You must choose someone who is both mature and responsible because they’ll need to interact with all of your other guests. Your ushers will need to wear something neat and formal, probably a suit, to fit in on your wedding day, so make sure your user has one in advance! 

One extra thing to keep in mind is that all families have issues. It’s natural, but to avoid having anything awkward happen at your wedding, let your ushers know if certain people should be seated with a bit of space between them. Also, plan on having a rather formal wedding. It might be a good idea to teach your ushers how to show people to their seats in a manner that reflects that, such as offering your guests their right arm (held out stiffly and bent at the elbow) to keep that formal vibe upheld.

Do ushers work at the wedding reception too? 

Traditionally speaking, once it’s time for the wedding reception, the usher's job is complete, and they get to enjoy your beautiful wedding reception with the rest of your guests!