You might want to know what is a page boy in a wedding, and it is a young boy who traditionally carries the bridal train. We will talk more about his duties at the wedding and how he compares to another young boy who’s part of the ceremony, the ring bearer.
Speaking of which, read about who holds the rings in a wedding to learn about the expectations for this duty. We also have different blogs for various wedding ceremony roles if you don’t know their terminologies.
What Exactly Is A Page Boy In A Wedding?
A page boy is a young boy responsible for carrying the bridal train as she walks down the aisle. However, some weddings also refer to the page boy as the ring bearer and combine the two roles in one.
Your page boy can also carry the rings down the aisle, or you can have two separate duties to include more young boys in your ceremony. It’s also possible for the page boy to not even hold anything as he walks down the aisle but instead pair him with a flower girl.
Where does the page boy go?
Before the ceremony, the page boy can get ready with the groom or groomsmen. For younger kids, it might also be best to have him with his parents, depending on his temperament.
Where do page boys stand? After the page boy walks down the aisle at the ceremony itself, he’ll usually sit with his parents.
What age can a page boy be?
A page boy can be anywhere from 3 to 10 years old. Of course, you must assess his temperament if you want him to perform in the ceremony.
Very young kids can get distracted easily; holding the wedding gown train or bringing the rings to the aisle might be unideal. You also don’t want them to stop halfway down the aisle or throw a fit.
Nonetheless, having a page boy is not mandatory for every wedding. Instead, it’s a great way to include important children in your life, especially when the other roles are already fulfilled.
How to choose a page boy?
The wedding page boy is usually a male relative, but he can also be the son of anyone close to you. However, be mindful of selecting your page boy as you don’t want other friends or relatives to feel like their child is overlooked.
If there are many young kids you’d want to be part of your wedding, they can be young attendants instead. Regardless, ensure that both the parents and the boy himself wish to be a page boy.
A willing candidate for the role of the page boy is less likely to throw a fit during the wedding day. And if you end up not finding a young boy to be your page boy, it’s possible to have a page girl or change the idea altogether and assign your beloved pet this role.
Why is a page boy called a page boy?
The term page boy can be a misnomer because he’s not involved with any book-related duties during the wedding. Instead, “page” is a word used to describe a young male attendant as it’s derived from the Latin word “pagus” or servant.
What Is The Purpose Of A Page Boy?
- Carry the bridal train to help the bride walk down the aisle
- Accompany the flower girl as they walk down the aisle hand in hand
- Alternative to having a flower girl as he sprinkles the petals along the aisle before the grand entrance
- A mini attendant or usher that helps the guests find their seats
Are you running out of ideas on how to include nieces and nephews in a wedding? Find out various roles that they can fill.
Does Page Boy Carry Rings?
The page boy is responsible for carrying the bridal train, but he can hold the rings down the aisle in some weddings. Don’t be confused, as the page boy and ring bearer are often termed interchangeably in some ceremonies.
The task of holding the bride’s train is sometimes passed to the flower girl, or some brides even hold the train themselves without any train bearer. The ceremony will have the page boy do other duties instead, whether it’s carrying the rings, substituting the flower girl, or being the partner to the flower girl, especially if he’s very young for a task.
What Is The Difference Between A Page Boy And A Ring Bearer?
The difference between a page boy and a ring bearer is the former traditionally holds the bride’s train, while the latter holds the couple’s ring. Both walk down the aisle, but some weddings also consider them one person and have the page boy bring the ring and lose the train bearer task altogether.
Does The Pageboy Match The Groom?
Depending on his role, the pageboy usually matches the groom, best man, groomsman, or the ushers. He’ll wear a mini version of their suits or anything that will separate his look from other guests while still following the dress code.
Conclusion
And that’s it! We just learned what is a page boy in a wedding: a young boy that holds the bridal train down the aisle.
However, he can also be the ring bearer, scatter the petals down the aisle, or accompany the flower girl. The task depends on his temperament and the number of children you want in your ceremony.