by Dotti Templeton
Many weddings these days not only have bridesmaids and groomsmen, but flower girls and ring bearers. The flower girl is most often a little girl carrying and even dropping flowers on her walk down the aisle just before the bride and groom. The ring bearer is usually a very young boy, and his responsibility is to get the bride's and groom's rings safely to their destination.
Now, if the flower girl decides not do her job, well, it's not great, but it's not the worst thing that can happen. If the little boy decides he's not interested in fulfilling his duty, however, we have a problem. Nothing like having one of the guests chasing after him to get the rings off the satin pillow and delivered to the best man. It's not a scene most often envisioned by the happy couple.
So, if your ring bearer will be bearing the real wedding rings, be sure to tie them onto the pillow with a knot sturdy enough to hold them in place, but loosely enough so that the officiant (or the guest chasing after him) can pull one part of the ribbon and remove them easily. My experience has been rings tied so tightly to the pillow, I nearly have to gnaw at the knot to free them. At one wedding I officiated, the opposite was true...the rings weren't tied to the pillow at all. Despite the balancing act of the young man carrying them down a very long aisle, one, then the other got away, and being round (duh), were able to make their way under the guests' chairs in two different directions. I'm sure that one day the couple will laugh at the memory, but they weren't amused at that moment.
Better than real rings tied to the pillow, if your little guy is a very little guy and/or prone to temper tantrums or cold feed under pressure (and you never really know if he is until it's too late), put two fake rings on the pillow and give the real ones to your best man to hold.
Remember to tell your officiant who will have the rings to ensure a smooth ceremony.
Dotti Templeton, Wedding Officiant
www.Poetic-Ceremonies.com
Westchester County, NY
