Tips For the Brother of the Bride

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If you are the brother of the bride, you may not think that you have much of a role to play in the upcoming wedding, but that is not true. There are plenty of ways in which you can participate and share in the excitement. Here are some tips on how to be a great brother of the bride.

A lot of guys are not really that "into" weddings, and unless it is your wedding, that is just fine. You may think that your sister and mom are going absolutely crazy over this whole wedding thing (especially if you are the younger, unmarried brother of the bride), and it may even be true. However, you will do yourself no favors by sharing that opinion with your sister, for whom the wedding is probably one of the biggest days of her entire life. A better tactic when your sister starts going on about the wedding is just to smile and nod while she talks; she may not even notice that your eyes have glazed over!

Most brothers of the bride will be asked to participate in the ceremony in some way. You will probably be asked to serve as a groomsman, and your duties will be much the same as those of the rest of the groomsmen. You get to help with the bachelor party, be fitted for a tuxedo, receive one of the groomsmen gifts, attend the rehearsal and dinner afterwards, and stand up with the groom during the marriage service. Single brothers will be pleased to hear that they are also responsible for escorting a pretty young bridesmaid up the aisle during the recessional.

As a member of the family, it would be nice for the bride's brother to go above and beyond what the other groomsmen may offer to do. It is a nice gesture towards the groom, and a way to help welcome him into your family. For instance, you might assist the groom in finding the perfect groomsmen gifts, as well as a wedding day gift for his sister (usually jewelry). You can also help with planning the bachelor party or guys' weekend away. And finally, the bride's brother can give the groom the inside scoop on the rest of the members of his family.

Speaking of the bachelor party, even though you are the bride's brother, you are there as a friend to the groom, so it is your duty to keep your lips sealed about what went on, unless something terribly inappropriate took place. You wouldn't be the first brother of the bride to be besieged by questions from a curious sister, but really all you should tell her is that everyone had a great time and that it was good clean fun. This will help to put her mind at ease, while also showing the groom that his future brother-in-law is a real buddy, not a spy for his sister.

At times the brother of the bride might end up taking on a more important role in the wedding. If their father has passed away, it would be very appropriate and touching for the bride's brother to be the one to walk her down the aisle and give her away. It is also very nice if you give a brief toast at the reception. Keep it brief and congratulatory; you surely know all sorts of embarrassing stories about your sister, but the wedding toast is not the time to bring them up!

With a little more involvement, the bride's brother might actually find that her wedding can be a good time. You also have the pleasure of gaining a new brother, and if you are single, meeting some attractive women (weddings often breed more weddings, you know). In the end, you might just come to discover that being the brother of the bride is not so bad after all.

Guy has been writing about society and weddings for a long time. If you have a topic you would like to know about. Let us know at SilverlandJewelry.com. Thank your attendants for being in your wedding with handsome groomsmen gifts.