The ushers are chosen by the groom and are usually chosen from among the brothers or cousins of the bride or groom. Just as the bride chooses her bridesmaids' dresses, so the groom chooses the attire of the usher. In the case of a Scottish wedding this can mean that the groom chooses which tartan is worn.

The usher has a few well-defined and a few not so well-defined duties. The main ones are to show people to their seats and distribute orders of service. Apart from that they should work in unison with the best man to ensure things run smoothly by helping with the organisation of transport from one venue to the other if required and just generally being on hand and attentive to the guests.

It's generally a good idea to have at least one usher from either family, particularly if they are to introduce people to the wedding party line up at the reception venue.