There are few things better in life than having a large, loving family. Having great parents, attentive aunties and uncles, close cousins and energetic nieces and nephews makes life full, rich and enjoyable, particularly when it comes to special occasions.
If you come from a close family or large brood, you’ll probably want to include as many of your nearest and dearest in your wedding day as possible. Though this is a great idea in theory, paying for suits, dresses, haircuts, manicures and accessories for everyone can get very expensive very fast. Luckily, there are a few clever tricks you can use that will help you include the whole family in the wedding party, without breaking the bank. Keep reading to find out more.
Witnesses
Many people see witnessing a wedding as a real honour. The witnesses will have their names on your wedding certificate forever, so it’s important you choose two people who really mean alot to you. To help include as many people in your wedding party as possible, choose members of your family who don’t yet have a formal role on the day. As you don’t need to pay for suits, dresses or any other special accessories, this is a very affordable way to get family members involved in the big day.
Chauffeurs
The person responsible for getting the bride to the church on time is an important member of the wedding party. They’ll be in a number of photos and will feel privileged to escort the bride to the ceremony. If you’ve got an uncle, cousin or other relative with a stylish car, ask them to be your chauffeur on your wedding day. Not only will this save you money on transport, you’ll also be able to include one more person in the wedding party.
Wedding official
It’s becoming more and more common for couples to ask a friend or relative to perform the marriage ceremony. Like Offbeat Bride says, “having a friend-officiant can be a lot of work — in the end, it is a DIY project. But if it is something that you have your heart set on, there are ways to really make it work, and make it work well”. To take the pressure off of your chosen relative, get officially married in advance and get the paperwork over and done with. That way they can simply hold a heartfelt ceremony in front of your nearest and dearest on the day.
Other potential roles for family members could include being an usher, a flower girl, page boy or even a cake maker. If you’re not sure how to include your loved ones in your day, talk to them to find out how they’d like to get involved and if they have any skills they can bring to the table.
For more wedding ideas and inspiration, or to find your dream wedding venue explore our site today.