5 ways to include family in your wedding

Is there really a way to include all the family in your wedding?

Sometimes it is hard to think of different ways to include your family in your wedding. But don’t worry – I have some ideas on ways you can include them in your special day. And no, you won’t have to have 10 bridesmaids and 10 groomsmen. Unless you want to of course!

1. Include them in your wedding party

Now this is probably the most obvious one. Bridesmaid, Groomsman, Flower Girl… All the “traditional” roles are up for grabs here and are wonderful ways to include family in your wedding. But this is definitely an opportunity to think outside the box with this one. What about a Flower Granny? A Grooms Woman? Bridesman? Or even have your dog be the ring bearer? There are no rules, do you, whatever that is.

2. Ask them to do a reading during the ceremony

Have you got a confident brother? An Auntie who loves a poem? Or a Grandfather who is bursting with pride? Then why not ask them to do a reading during your wedding ceremony?

A reading is a lovely way to include family that are not in the wedding party in one of the most important parts of your day. The reading doesn’t have to be long, but it is a beautiful way to involve more people in your wedding.

You could ask your family member to choose the reading themselves and have this as a surprise on your wedding! What a wonderful gift they could do for you.

3. Ask them to do a speech

We all know it’s traditional for the Father of the Bride, Groom and Best Man to make a speech at the wedding, but who says you need to stick to tradition? There are no rules on who should or shouldn’t give a speech at the wedding. So if you have someone you’d like to include in your wedding day, why don’t you task them with giving a speech? This is probably a job that is best suited to someone who enjoys public speaking, but definitely one to think about. It is likely to also be a pleasant surprise to your other wedding guests. Something that is out of the ordinary is a fantastic way to make your wedding a memorable one!

4. Give them an “on the day” job

You might think that you want complete control of everything that happens on your wedding day. But trust me, you’ll want to relax and enjoy yourself. Knowing that all the time and effort you have put into planning your wedding has paid off. But you want to make sure that some of the “on the day” tasks still get done.

So why not give a job to someone in your family? It can be something as simple as making sure the guestbook has been signed by all your guests. Or collecting all the disposable cameras you’ve put on the tables for guests to use! Whatever the task is, it doesn’t really matter. It’s a job that you don’t need to worry about, and your family member is involved in your wedding celebration.

5. Ask them to arrange the hen/stag parties

So this one might be for the party animal (if that’s what you’re looking for)! Or if you’re looking for something more low key or relaxed, you might want to choose this person wisely. Again, it is traditional that the Best Man and the Maid of Honour arrange these celebrations, but it doesn’t have to be. You can get someone else in your family to plan this part of your wedding.

This might also be a good task for someone who is trying to get a bit too involved in the wedding planning and you want to get the reins back a little!

Looking for some more tips?

Give me a follow on Instagram at @lovejemmaceremonies and you’ll be sure to see some more soon! I hope to see you pop up on my socials soon! get in touch and see what I can help create for you today!

With love,
Jemma x