American weddings are pretty diverse these days. As you can imagine, couples get married in non-traditional settings, as well as the traditional church setting. One thing that does stay constant is who can actually marry the couple and make it official. This can be done by anyone ordained by a religion, a judge, or a Justice of the Peace. Find out more about the roles people play in American weddings.

The mother of the bride has the honor of helping her daughter choose a wedding dress, as well as make arrangements for the reception. She is also responsible for helping the bride gather the guest list, send out the invitations, and make hotel arrangements for out of town guests. The mother of the bride may also be asked to light a candle on the altar on the wedding day.

The father of the bride is responsible for walking the bride down the aisle during the processional. It is his duty to give his daughter over to the groom. The father is also responsible for paying for the reception after the wedding.

Mother and Father of the Groom

It is the responsibility of the mother of the groom to make contact with the bride's family. This can be a simple phone call or setting up a dinner date for the two families to meet. They are also the ones who choose the place for the rehearsal dinner and pay for the meals. The mother and father of the groom are responsible for paying for the flowers that decorate the wedding location. On the wedding day, the mother of the groom may be asked to light a candle on the altar.

The maid of honor (if she is not married) or matron of honor (if she is married) is required to attend all of the prenuptial celebrations, such as the bridal shower. She is responsible for planning the fitting appointments for all of the bridesmaids, and to be sure that the flower girl knows her duties on the wedding day. The maid of honor makes sure that the bride's train is straight during the wedding ceremony. She is to stand next to the groom in the receiving line with the bridesmaid beside her. The maid of honor basically helps the bride with details to make sure that things are going according to schedule during the wedding preparations.

The best man keeps the groom straight during the wedding preparations by making sure he has the marriage license. He gets the money from the groom and pays the person performing the ceremony in private. He also oversees the ringer bearer, if one is part of the wedding party. The best man travels to the church with the groom and organizes the ushers. He is responsible for handing the wedding ring over to the groom during the ceremony. The best man gives a toast to the couple before anyone eats at the reception.

The duties listed above are traditional customs for American weddings. In today's world weddings are often fashioned by these customs and roles, but can be varied greatly depending on the couples personal choices and interests. A wedding is an exciting time in a couple's life, so all people involved with the wedding should remember to do their best to make this day as special for them as possible.