What Are Maid of Honor Duties?
Being asked to be someone’s Maid of Honor is such an honor. You are a huge part of your bride’s support system on her big day and you even get behind the scenes access to all of the juicy, fun wedding planning! As exciting as becoming someone’s Maid of Honor can be, we know that it can seem a little bit intimidating if you’ve never been one before. So, we want to help hype you up and prepare you for your oh-so-important role and take away those MOH jitters. Here’s a quick breakdown of what you may get to help with as your bride’s trusty Maid of Honor, Maid of Honor tips, and a few additional perks that come with the role!
Maid of Honor Responsibilities
The Bachelorette Party
If anyone knows whether the bride-to-be is a Nashville bar crawl type-of-gal or more of a sipping mimosas on the beach type, it’s you, our dear Maid of Honor! With that being said, depending on your bride-to-be’s wishes, you just might get to call the shots and plan her bachelorette party! This is one of the most exciting parts of being the maid of honor, in our opinion. There’s nothing more fun than getting to plan a girl’s trip for all of your besties! If your bride-to-be enlists you to help with planning her bachelorette party, get started as early as possible, trust your instincts, and ask for help when you need it! Communication is key as the Maid of Honor–don’t forget that!
The Bridal Shower
The bachelorette party is all about celebrating the bride-to-be’s single life, but the bridal shower is about celebrating her transition into married life. As the Maid of Honor, you just might get to help plan this event! Like the name suggests, the bridal shower is an opportunity for all of the women in the bride’s life to shower her with gifts, love, and advice as she prepares to create a home with the love of her life. However, it’s also about the experience. Talk to your bride about her ideal shower if she expects you to help with the planning–is it an intimate home cooked meal or is everyone invited to take a fun cooking class? Make sure her registry is finished so the ladies attending can come bearing gifts and have some shower games tucked away in your back pocket to keep her & her guests on their toes.
Give A Speech at The Reception
As the Maid of Honor, your bride may ask you to give a speech at the reception. This may be intimidating, don’t stress too much over it. Just speak from the heart–it’s okay to keep it short and sweet if you’re not big on public speaking! Hit a few high points, share some a fun memory, express your gratitude for being a part of their wedding, let them know how happy you are for them, and then pass the mic! If speeches really aren’t your thing, don’t be afraid to let the bride know. We mentioned earlier that communication is key as a Maid of Honor–so is transparency and openness. So be open with the bride if the thought of giving a speech makes you feel queasy. We’re sure she will be receptive!
Help Keep The Bride Calm on Her Wedding Day
Where things can go wrong, they absolutely will. One of the most important parts of your job as the Maid of Honor is to keep the bride’s head screwed on straight! If the catering hasn’t arrived yet and the wedding planner is trying to speak to the bride; you act as her buffer. Weddings are hectic and stressful–the best thing you can do for your bride is to be calm and handle any issues that arise. If you want to go the extra mile, keep lavender spray or mint essential oils on hand! If things look like they’re getting crazy, give the bride a spritz or massage a little into her hands to ground her and help her relax
Perks of Being the Maid of Honor
Spend Quality Time With The Bride
You and the bride are already super close–that’s why she chose you to be her Maid of Honor, after all! However, wedding planning can be hectic and time consuming, so your bride-to-be probably won’t have as much free time as she used to leading up to the wedding. Fortunately for you, as the Maid of Honor, you may get to help with the planning! This will allow you to spend almost as much quality time with the bride-to-be as you did before planning ensued. From choosing bridesmaids gowns together, to planning her bachelorette trip, to helping her choose her wedding dress, you’ll get to spend almost as much time with her as her fiancé does. Sounds like a win in our book!
Bonus Maid of Honor tip: Find ways to make these little meetups fun and cute! Get coffee and help her write Thank You notes after the bridal shower. Or bring over dinner and watch your favorite wedding movies while she debriefs you on some of the planning details!
Be The Bride’s Right Hand Woman
You’re going to be the bride’s right hand woman on her wedding day. So you get to have her back if anything goes awry! And who better to be there for her on such a special day than her bestie? We’re sure your bride-to-be will come to the wedding prepared for anything. BUT, as Maid of Honor, you want to be one step ahead of her! So, be sure you have your sewing kit on hand. As well as band aid’s, extra make up, and all of the other small stuff that the bride may need in case of an emergency.
You’ll also be her mirror and assistant for the day, so if her lipstick gets smudged, let her know and help her fix it. At the altar, you’ll need to be prepared to take her bouquet during the ceremony and keep her veil straightened and picture ready! Your goal on her wedding day should be to give your girl the confidence to let go and know that everything will be taken care of so she can be in and enjoy the moment.
Maid of Honor Tips
Communication is key
Communication is key. Make sure you know what your bride expects from you. And let her know what you are able to take on right now. If you have a lot on your plate and won’t be able to plan the Bachelorette party or Bridal shower, let her know up front. Communicate with your bride often and don’t interpret silence from her as negative. Check in with her, be proactive, and don’t be afraid to ask her questions. If she isn’t actively reaching out to you for help, don’t assume it is because she doesn’t need it. Assume she is too busy to ask!
Get To Know The Other Bridesmaids
The other bridesmaids are going to be your backup. They’re going to be your first call when things go wrong. Make sure you get to know them before the big day. Offer to set up your bride’s Guestie event before the wedding showers and bach parties. That way the bridal party can get to know each other. Once you’ve all met virtually, plan a few outings for the bride tribe both with and without the bride. Keep activities fun and light; grab drinks together or go shopping for accessories or shoes for your bridesmaid dresses! Sit and talk about bachelorette ideas that the bride might like or shower gifts you all want to get her. Her bridesmaids are your team, so don’t neglect getting to know them!
Get Pumped, You’re Wedding Royalty
Everyone wants to be the Maid of Honor! Well, maybe not everyone, but it is a major life experience for you to get to check off your bucket list. I mean, you’re wedding royalty! You have a title, babe. That’s so exciting! Now, don’t get too cocky about it, but DO let yourself get hyped for the wedding. It’s going to be an absolute blast! You’re going to have so much fun. Embrace every opportunity to help the bride that you get. And be sure to live in the moment, because this experience will create memories that will last a lifetime.
We hope that these Maid of Honor tips help hype you up for your super exciting role as the Maid of Honor! If you want to get even more excited for the wedding, scroll through our Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok for more wedding content while you count down the days until your bestie’s ceremony!
