So you’ve been asked to be a wedding personal attendant! Because of the importance of this role, it is wise to consider it seriously. As should the bride when choosing the individual who will become her personal attendant/assistant on one of the most important days of her life! Therefore in this article, we discuss your duties and give you three checklists to make your part of the wedding easier and enjoyable.
Duties of a Personal Attendant
As the personal attendant (PA), you will be the person who can be trusted to take care of the bride, communicate to and for her to manage her stress level, keep the day’s schedule on track, bring the right items to the wedding ceremony and reception, and help with any issues that may arise on the wedding day.
Because you will need to know how to lace up the corset, thread the buttons or bustle her dress, you should attend the final dress fitting with the bride. Here you can learn and practice how to work with the bride’s gown, which will make for a quicker transition prior to the reception or dance. Consider making it a day and enjoy lunch with the bride! This can be a pleasant time to go over the day’s checklist, discuss the bride’s expectations for the day, and gather the contact list for your emergency kit (see below).
On the day of the wedding, you will need to be ready to rise early and deliver breakfast, coffee, orange juice and champagne. Have transportation ready in case there is a need to run for last minute items.
Some of your other wedding day duties include: delivering letters between the bride and groom, collecting the bride’s personal items after dressing and delivering them to the departure vehicle or assigned person, reviewing the final checklist with the bride, assisting with her dress and touch ups during photos, and adjusting the train before the processional.
Personal Attendant Checklists
Aside from the following three kits you should pack and have ready for the wedding day, here some essentials to remember for yourself: your own fully-charged cell phone, comfy shoes for early in the day (save the heels for the ceremony), plenty of hydration, a pick-me-up snack, and personal items to refresh yourself!
Kit #1: Bride’s Checklist
• Rings
• Dress
• Jewelry
• Perfume
• Makeup
• Hairspray
• Curling iron and straightener
• Medications
• Acetaminophen
• Allergy meds
• Undergarments
• Panty hose
• Shoes (two pairs)
Kit #2: Emergency Kit
• Contact list (Wedding and reception venues, bride’s parents, maid-of-honor, hair and makeup stylists, car or limousine rental, officiator, florist, cake designer, caterer, musicians, photographer, deejay)
• Hard copy of the day’s schedule
• Phone charger
• Cash/credit card
• Spare keys
• Small zippered storage bags to organize
• Needle and thread
• Safety pins
• Scissors
• Sunscreen
• Lotion
• Deodorant
• Tampons
• Toothbrush
• Toothpaste
• Mouthwash
• Dental floss
• Spot remover
• Club soda
• Eye drops
• Tissues
• Bandages
• Blister pads
• Cotton swabs
• Lip balm
• Hair pins
• Nail file
• Nail clippers
• Clear nail polish
• Nail polish remover
• Super glue
• Dryer sheets (for static cling issues)
• Hand sanitizer
• Snacks
• Bottled water
• Nursing pads (if you have a new mom in the bridal party)
Kit #3: Bride’s Small Tote for Ceremony and Reception
• Perfume
• Deodorant
• Phone and charger
• Medications
• Makeup and lip color
• Breath mints
• Tissues
As a wedding personal attendant you will be working hard, but you will be much appreciated by the bride as you assist in making her day easier. And don’t forget to hug the bride before she heads down the aisle!
(For more information on us, click here. If you would like to contact us, click here.)
Many thanks to Shane Long Photography for the great photos! Venue: Minnesota Harvest
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In September of 2019 I was the owner and lead designer of a successful wedding floral design and styling business in Minnesota, and quite content with things as they were. As life would have it, however, my husband's job moved us 350 miles away. Leaving children, grandchildren, our home and my business behind, we made the move and settled in by early February 2020, just as #Covid19 started trending everywhere.
As a way to manage the upheaval of the move and the isolation of the pandemic, I turned my creativity to painting, crafting and photography. Always an entrepreneur and not yet ready to retire, I decided to start another business, One Precious Pearl...the Next Chapter.
Combining mixed media art with bookbinding, I now design and sell journals of various types. They range from vintage, modern vintage or mid century, junk, art, writing, faith or commonplace journals. I also welcome and thoroughly enjoy commissioned pieces! 
