Ring Bearer
Ring bearers are traditionally young boys that partake in the wedding ceremony. The main role of a ring bearer is to bring the wedding rings up into the wedding ceremony. The young boy will walk down the aisle typically just before or just after the flower girl. His role is carrying the wedding rings up to the best man and maid of honor.
Ring bearers are typical young members of the family, the wedding couples’ own children, nephews or close family friends and are between the ages of 4 – 8. There are two options for the ring bearers, they either carry the real wedding rings, or more often than not, they are carrying, imitation rings, as the best man is carrying the real wedding rings for safekeeping. In either case, the rings are typically tied down with ribbon or sewn to the wedding ring pillow.
The younger the handsome ring bearer is, the less likely he is to be focused on his task at hand. That might mean that unplanned things happen, which can be adorable if they do something cute, or frustrating if they are misbehaving. Judge not only the age of the ring bearer but also his level of maturity, ability to focus and do what he is instructed to do.
The ring bearer is traditionally dressed up in formal attire and it is very adorable to have a matching tuxedo or suit to the groomsmen. Many tuxedo rental places will have young boy sized tuxedos that are specifically designed with ring bearers in mind. If the groomsmen are not wearing tuxedos, it is possible to also rent a suit for the young boy if he does not have his own suit in the correct color to wear. Something to keep in mind for the parents of the ring bearer is to bring a change of clothes for him, in case he gets tired of formal attire.
A little thank you gift is a nice gesture to give the ring bearer as a lasting memory of him being part of the wedding. Including the ring bearer in the wedding photos is also a very cute addition, but it is not recommended to take them along on photo shoots as after all, they are young children and may get bored or require some extra attention. Photos of the ring bearer with the flower girl can be absolutely adorable.
The young ring bearers will often walk quite quickly, so be sure to let them know that they will be photographed and how important it is for them to walk slower and be sure to smile and enjoy their walk. Once he has walked down the aisle, it is best for him to go and sit with his parents. As he is just a young boy, his focus and attention span will likely not last the duration of the of the wedding ceremony so it is best that he is not expected to stand up as part of the wedding party.
Prior to him walking down the aisle he will also need to be looked after and advised on when he should start his walk. If one of his parents is in the wedding party, they can look after him and the flower girl, should you have one, as the bride and her father will have other things to worry about, so they might be the best people to ensure the ring bearer is behaving and all prepared. If a parent is not in the wedding party the Maid of honor, or whoever are the last people to walk out before the bride, might be the best person to keep an eye on them. If nothing else is working out, a parent can always wait outside with the ring bearer until it is his turn to walk down the aisle and then the parent can slip in on their own once the bride is down the aisle. If this is the case, just make sure you don’t accidentally end up in any of the photos of the bride walking down the aisle. This may also mean that the ring bearer’s parent might miss some of the ceremony as a result of waiting outside for a good opportunity to walk in to the ceremony.
Ring bearers can often lighten the mood during the ceremony. Since they are quite young they can often do some typically lighthearted childish type things that bring about a good laugh for all wedding guests and others in the wedding party.
