What is a maid of honor?

While many brides see this position as honoring the closest friend or sibling in their life, there is actually a lot more behind being a Maid of Honor. A Maid of Honor is the principle bridesmaid intended to take stress off the bride - they lend a hand in the planning, an opinion for the decorations, and are the go-to person for the day of the wedding to reduce the bride’s responsibilities. This “honor” really shouldn’t be taken lightly and we should realize the scope of their responsibilities leading up to the big day.

Main responsibilities

Plan a bachelorette party and/or bridal shower

One of the most fun parts of a MOH’s duties is to plan the bachelorette party with all her girls. Plan far in advance so that the entire bridal party and other great girlfriends the bride has can be there, make the party budget-friendly so that everyone can afford it, and make it a fun time for everyone! You can also combine this with a bridal shower or keep it separate, but a bride should be showered by all those who love her. Show her all the love by coordinating a bridal shower with all her friends!

Go dress shopping

As the bride’s right-hand girl (or guy), she respects your opinion for all the details that go into her big day. While mom and grandma may be teary-eyed when she tries on wedding dresses, she will count on the MOH to give her honest, but loving, feedback. After that, a MOH should most definitely be there to try on bridesmaids dresses. Not only can you help her with the style she envisions, but you can help corral the bridesmaids’ energy and opinions.

Attend other pre-wedding parties/appointments

There will be other bridal showers thrown by family members, dress fitting appointments, venue walk-throughs, and maybe a “stock-the-bar” engagement party. A MOH should attend all these events to show the bride the love and support she deserves. At all bridal showers, you will be the gift tracker - who got what for the bride so that thank you notes can be written. For everything else, the bride will probably need a good sounding board for her ideas to come together.

Prepare a toast

Perhaps this is the most dreaded task of the MOH, but it shouldn’t be! Remember that the bride has chosen you for a reason. You have shown her, through many life decisions and experiences, that you are the one who has supported, loved, and encouraged her through it all. Take some time to write down some fond memories - when you couldn’t stop laughing, when you cried together, when/how you first met, moments that she had your back - way prior to the wedding so that you feel prepared. Out of everyone at the wedding, you have precious memories so unique that everyone is just dying to hear.

Help plan/create wedding day details

A bride will have many things on her to-do list that she’ll need to keep track of. From helping to address the invitations to putting together center pieces, these details for her wedding day important to help with. You will relieve sooooo much of her stress if she knows she can count on her MOH to carry some of the load with her. Also, with so much in mind, she could be completely forgetting details she would want for that day. Make sure to come prepared with help to secure some lesser thought of things are planned - wedding guest book, gift table/area, how the bridal party will get from one place to another, etc.

Unite the bride tribe

Typically, not all the bridesmaids know each other - it’s like being the new kid at school. As the MOH, unite this bride tribe, mediate any tensions, and help everyone feel comfortable celebrating together. Besides the bride, you should be the go-to girl for any questions, concerns, or just friendship - the bride will likely have a lot going on before and during her wedding day. Keeping the tribe together and friendly will make the bride’s day incredibly better!

Be her main support

While she is planning her wedding to commit her life to someone, she still needs that support when no one else may understand her. Before, during, and even after the wedding, make sure you are giving her the love and attention she needs to take extra stress off. No plans ever happen the exact way we intend them, and odds are something unplanned will happen. Give her the shoulder to cry on when she needs it, the optimistic outlook when things look bad, and the excitedness to keep her focused on the main reason for this wedding: to celebrate the love she has for another.

Keep everyone on time

After all the plans are made, vendors booked, and details set, a bride should really take the backseat and fully enjoy her wedding day. To help everything run more smoothly, keep a list of the vendors and their contact information to ensure they’re where they need to be. With that, make sure you know at least a rough idea of the itinerary for the day to check in that the groomsmen are dressed when they need to be, the bridesmaids have hair and makeup done, and that everything is running on schedule. Taking that off her plate will move mountains to making her day even better.