Page Boys: What Do They Wear & What Do They Do at the Wedding?
As well as looking totally cute on the day, what else does a page boy need to do at your wedding? Here's everything you need to know about the adorable role
There are many important wedding roles within a wedding party, but perhaps one of the cutest roles of all is deciding on who will be your page boy.
While there are official page boy duties (scroll down for those…), the main role of the page boy is mostly just to look adorable walking down the aisle and in your wedding photos.
What’s more, having a page boy at your wedding is a lovely way to include children in your special day and get them involved.
If you are looking for a way to include a younger boy in your family or a child of one of your close friends in your wedding but you are worried about giving them too much responsibility or stress on the day then the role of the page boy could be perfect for them.
Page Boy Duties: Everything You Need to Know About Having Page Boys
But what do page boys actually have to do at the wedding? Do they wear page boy outfits or suits? And do you need to add them to the list of people to buy presents for?
We have all the answers and more right here…
What is a Page Boy?
Page boys are typically boys under the age of seven and they walk down the aisle either together if you are having more than one or with the flower girl or other bridesmaids.
The term page boy (commonly misspelt as ‘paige boy’) dates back to mediaeval times when it was used to refer to young male servants. Nowadays, it’s a term used to refer to male children within the wedding party.
And it’s not just weddings where you will find a page boy or two, in fact, we saw some very recently at the King’s coronation. "Who were King Charles’s page boys?" we hear you ask.
King Charles had several young children act as his Pages of Honour. The coronation page boys Lord Oliver Cholmondeley, Nicholas Barclay, Ralph Tollemache, and Charles van Cutsem wore traditional uniforms when carrying out their page boy duties.
What Does a Page Boy Do?
Traditionally the page boy would hold the train of the bride’s dress (servants - remember?) – however, nowadays it is more common for them to simply walk down the aisle with the flower girl (if you’re having one) or ahead of the bridesmaids.
If you are not having a separate ring bearer then you might want your page boy to carry the wedding rings down the aisle, or you could choose for them to walk down with a cute wedding sign.
What is the Difference Between Page Boys and a Ring Bearer?
Some couples may choose to have both a page boy and a ring bearer – the ring bearer will be the one to carry the ring pillow and present the wedding rings to the couple.
The page boy will walk down the aisle but they don’t need to hold anything and typically walk down holding hands with the flower girl, if you have one, or a bridesmaid or older member of the wedding party if not.
The page boy tends to be between the ages of three and 10, and will often be of close relation to the wedding couple.
It isn’t compulsory that you have one – and it’s important to remember that the younger the page boy, the more difficult it may be to expect perfect behaviour from them. After all, children will be children.
What Does the Page Boy Wear?
When it comes to page boy outfits, the choice is completely up to you. In terms of page boy suits, it’s important to consider the age of the child and go from there.
If they are very young then they might want to wear soft super cute Prince George-inspired shorts and a shirt. Alternatively you could dress them in a mini-version of the suit worn by the groomsmen or a waistcoat and shorts.
For really young page boys, we have an edit on the best wedding outfits for babies and toddlers here.
What Are the Page Boy Wedding Duties?
This will completely depend on the page boy’s age and temperament so be open to doing what you think will make him most comfortable. He may love getting ready with the groom, the best man and the ushers and you will get some lovely photos of everyone getting ready together.
Alternatively, if your page boy is very young then it may be easier for your page boy to get ready with his parents and then arrive nearer the time of the ceremony. If you are feeling unsure at what to do then the parents of the page boy will be able to help you decide what would be best for them.
Do You Buy the Page Boy a Gift?
You may choose to buy your page boy a small gift to say thank you for doing such a great job. This could be a card, a fun print for their bedroom or a cute wooden sign.
If you are considering a page boy in your bridal party then start browsing some of our favourite page boy outfits.
Need to know more about other roles at the wedding? Check out our guides on what the best man and ushers have to do...
