Page boy (wedding attendant): Difference between revisions

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A page boy is a young male attendant at a wedding or a cotillion (a social dance). This type of wedding attendant is less common than it used to be, but it is still a way of including young relatives or the children of friends in a wedding. Pages are often seen at British royal weddings, such as the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton in 2011. At cotillions, there may be many pages, for effect.

Traditionally, page boys carry the bride's train, especially if the bride is wearing a dress with a long train. Because of the difficulty of managing a train, page boys are generally no younger than age seven, with older boys being preferred for more complicated duties.^[1]

A ring bearer holding a wedding ring on a cushion

In a formal wedding, the ring bearer is a special page who carries the wedding rings for the bridal party. This is almost always symbolic, with the ring bearer carrying a wedding ring cushion on which imitation rings are sewn, while the real wedding bands are kept in the safekeeping of the best man. If the real rings are used, they are generally tacked on with thread to prevent their accidental loss.

Ring bearers are often young relatives or children of friends (usually male but can also be female) and are generally in the same age range as flower girls, which is to say that they are usually no younger than about five nor older than ten, although the age range is up to the marrying couple.^[1] If the couple have had any children prior to marriage, then their child(ren) may serve as ring bearer(s).

A coin bearer is similar to a ring bearer. The coin bearer is a young boy who marches up the wedding aisle to bring the wedding coins, a tradition in Spanish-speaking countries. The wedding coins are more commonly known as wedding arrhae, and the coins are presented to the celebrant for a blessing.

References

^ ^a ^b Stewart, Arlene Hamilton (1995). A bride's book of wedding traditions. New York: Hearst Books. p. 106. ISBN 0-688-12768-1.

[isbn0-688-12768-1-1] Stewart, Arlene Hamilton (1995). A bride's book of wedding traditions. New York: Hearst Books. p. 106. ISBN 0-688-12768-1.

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+{{Short description|Young male attendant at a wedding or a cotillion}}
-{{otheruses}}
-{{redirect|Ring bearer|the term used in [[J. R. R. Tolkien|J. R. R. Tolkien's]] ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' to describe any being who has (or had) possession of one of the [[Rings of Power]]|One Ring#Ring-bearers}}
+{{redirect|Ring bearer|the term used in ''The Lord of the Rings''|One Ring}}
+[[File:Wedding Prince William balcony Buckingham Palace.jpg|thumb|Two page boys can be seen (at right) after the [[wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton]].]]{{One source|date=November 2023}}
+A '''page boy''' is a young male attendant at a [[wedding]] or a [[cotillion]] (a social dance). This type of wedding attendant is less common than it used to be, but it is still a way of including young relatives or the children of friends in a wedding. Pages are often seen at British royal weddings, such as the [[wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton]] in 2011. At cotillions, there may be many pages, for effect.
+Traditionally, page boys carry the bride's train, especially if the bride is wearing a dress with a long train. Because of the difficulty of managing a train, page boys are generally no younger than age seven, with older boys being preferred for more complicated duties.<ref name="isbn0-688-12768-1">{{cite book|author=Stewart, Arlene Hamilton|title=A bride's book of wedding traditions|publisher=Hearst Books|location=New York|year=1995|page=[https://archive.org/details/bridesbookofwedd00stew/page/106 106]|isbn=0-688-12768-1|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/bridesbookofwedd00stew/page/106}}</ref>
-A '''page boy''' is a young male attendant at a [[wedding]] or [[cotillion]] . This type of wedding attendant is less common than it used to be, but is still a way of including young relatives or the children of relatives and friends in a wedding. A page is often seen at British royal weddings. There may be many pages for effect at cotillions.
+[[File:Boy-carrying-rings.jpg|thumb|A ring bearer holding a wedding ring on a cushion]]
-Traditionally, page boys carry the bride's train, especially if she is wearing a dress with a long train. Because of the difficulty of managing the train, page boys are generally no younger than age seven, with older boys being preferred for more complicated duties.<ref name="isbn0-688-12768-1">{{cite book|author=Stewart, Arlene Hamilton|title=A bride's book of wedding traditions|publisher=Hearst Books|location=New York|year=1995|page=106|isbn=0-688-12768-1|oclc=|doi=}}</ref>
+In a formal wedding, the '''ring bearer''' is a special page who carries the wedding rings for the bridal party. This is almost always symbolic, with the ring bearer carrying a [[wedding ring cushion]] on which imitation rings are sewn, while the real wedding bands are kept in the safekeeping of the [[best man]]. If the real rings are used, they are generally [[Sewing|tacked on]] with thread to prevent their accidental loss.
-[[File:Boy-carrying-rings.jpg|thumb|A ringbearer holding a wedding ring on a cushion.]]
+Ring bearers are often young relatives or children of friends (usually male but can also be female) and are generally in the same age range as [[flower girl]]s, which is to say that they are usually no younger than about five nor older than ten, although the age range is up to the marrying couple.<ref name="isbn0-688-12768-1"/> If the couple have had any children prior to marriage, then their child(ren) may serve as ring bearer(s).
-In a formal wedding, the '''ring bearer''' is a special page who carries the wedding rings for the bridal party. This is almost always symbolic, with the ring bearer carrying a large white satin [[Wedding ring cushion|pillow]] on which imitation rings are sewn, while the real wedding bands are kept in the safekeeping of the [[best man]]. If the real rings are used, they are [[Sewing|tacked on]] with thread to prevent their accidental loss.
+A '''coin bearer''' is similar to a ring bearer. The coin bearer is a young boy who marches up the wedding aisle to bring the wedding coins, a tradition in Spanish-speaking countries. The wedding coins are more commonly known as [[wedding arrhae]], and the coins are presented to the celebrant for a blessing.
-Ring bearers are often nephews or young brothers (although they can also be nieces or sisters) and are generally in the same age range as [[flower girl]]s, which is to say that they are no younger than about five nor older than 10.<ref name="isbn0-688-12768-1"/> If the couple have had children prior to marriage, their own child(ren) may serve as ring bearer.
-The '''coin bearer''' is similar to that of the ring bearer.  The coin bearer is a young boy who marches on the wedding aisle to bring the wedding coins. The wedding coins are more commonly known as [[wedding arrhae]].<ref>http://lovelywed.com/blog/2006/12/coin-bearer-explained.html</ref>{{Verify credibility|date=December 2009}} The coins are presented to the celebrant for a blessing.  The coins usually consist of thirteen gold and silver coins, to represent Jesus and his apostles.{{Citation needed|date=December 2009}} Historically, Spanish colonists started this custom.{{Citation needed|date=December 2009}}
 ==References==
 {{reflist}}
+{{wedding}}
+{{Authority control}}
-{{wedding}}
 [[Category:Wedding ceremony participants]]