Weddings bring people together to celebrate the special time for the happy couple as they pledge their love to each other. The planning often focuses on the bridal party and other details of the ceremony and reception with little thought to what we like to call the “Extras” needed to fill in the gaps to make the big day run smoothly.

During the initial planning phase of the wedding, the details should include your go-to-list of extra helpers who you can assign tasks to and not worry about it again. In many cases, it’s a family affair of close relatives and friends. The bride and groom will likely have a list of people to add to this list and may even discover others along the way that will be a perfect fit.

This list may include:

Gift coordinator – someone detail-oriented assigned to keep tabs on the gift registry and help organize early arriving gifts, as well as those coming in on the day of the ceremony and afterwards. This person’s attention to detail will be a huge help when it’s time for the bride and groom to write thank you notes for the extra toaster and cash! This can be a job assigned to more than one person if needed, depending on the size of the guest list.

Greeters – this is definitely a job for your happy-go-lucky great uncle who never meets a stranger and your friendly next door neighbor who bakes cookies for kids in the neighborhood. Yes, find the outgoing, friendly type with the gift of gab for this important role. Depending on the size of your wedding, generally two or three people will work fine.

Ushers – here is a perfect job for lads in their late-teens or early 20s who will likely want to make sure all the pretty girls are escorted to their seats, but also charm the matronly guests with patience and kindness. Use the size of your guest list to guide your selection, but as a rule of thumb at least two to four ushers can handle the job.

Hostesses – generally these are ladies in their teens or early 20s who make sure everyone has a wedding program, answer questions about where gifts may go, oversee everyone signing the guest book. This group is usually made up of four people depending on the size of the guest list.

Hospitality Crew – this is typically reserved for “other duties as necessary” during the ceremony and reception. While the extra help needed here will vary greatly, this group needs to be flexible in any role since they may be called to lend a hand elsewhere. One of the main jobs for hospitality can be making sure everyone is seated according to the chart designed by the couple. Hospitality may also be asked to act as couriers for the wedding planner, or for guests needing a bit of assistance. Select someone with an outgoing personality, but who is also attentive to details and can get things done quickly.

Behind the Scenes – this is the group that will help with the heavy-lifting duties following the event such as loading all the gifts to be transported to the couple’s residence. This is also the group that may be asked to help break down any heavy equipment used during the event if needed. They can also help support the ushers later by escorting ladies to their vehicles or driving a group of bridesmaids and their gear for the day.

Putting together a wedding can be a stressful time, but having the right people in place to help with all the extra details can ensure a memorable event. Remember, these are the people who want to help and are honored to be asked to play some small part in the big day!

More planning tips from our Golden Ocala event staff to help the bride and groom on their special day can be found in our wedding blog.