Jonathan Potts Victorian Wedding Photograph Protocol

[Neill Richard Potts]

Could you help me to try and identify who is in this wedding photograph please? The photograph was emailed to me from my cousin in New Zealand.

It was taken in Grimsby in 1883 and the groom is my 3rd great uncle Jonathan Potts and his bride was Sarah Elizabeth Robinson. I believe the best man to the right of the bride (Sarah) is my 3rd great uncle William Potts. The people sat to the left and right are the groom and bride's parents respectively.

What I am trying to work out is regarding to the two gentlemen either side of the photograph in bowler hats. At first I believed they would be family too ... but why bowler hats when the rest are wearing top hats? Is there a class element here and they are not family but maybe ushers?

Does anyone know what the Victorian protocol was for weddings other then the obvious the groom's family were to be on the groom's side and bride's family on her side?

Any help would be  greatly appreciated.

Sorry the photo is a little squashed up ... when I first tried posting it said the file had to be below 900kb and when I cut it down to 900kb it then said it was too big and had to be below 500kb  so I ended up cutting it down again. Sorry.

[Treetotal]

The ones I have all appear to stick to that formation.
Carol

[jim1]

The chaps in the bowlers wouldn't be from a different social class. Bowlers were perfectly acceptable headwear for all classes. They're dressed the same so probably as you say they're ushers.