Maid of Honour Duties

Have you been asked to be the maid of honour? Congratulations! This is a privilege and essentially means you’ve played a huge part in the bride’s life. However, there are maid of honour duties you need to meet. In case you’re not familiar, by definition, a maid of honour is the right hand of the bride throughout the wedding day. This role is often presented to the bride’s sister, sibling or best friend. Mainly because of the responsibilities this role possess which include being the assistant, confidant, shoulder to cry on, voice, and even a leader or wrangler for the bridesmaids.

So, what are the exact things a maid of honour should do? Well, starting off with the bachelorette party, it is the maid of honour’s duty to ensure the celebration goes well and is memorable. In addition to that, MOHs make sure that the bridesmaids’ dresses are according to the theme of the wedding and in a timely fashion. Moreover, an MOH also acts as a point person during the wedding day, creates speeches at the reception, and so much more. In fact, during the onset of the pandemic, maid of honour duties have become even more essential – offering your hand on a stressful time when she has to make changes or even postpone the wedding and celebration.

So, if you’ve never been a maid of honour and are not entirely sure of what to it takes to be a good one, we’ve got you covered. In this article, we are going to discuss all possible duties a maid of honour should pull off before, during and after the. wedding ceremony.

Maid of Honour Duties

Before the Wedding

1. Offer Your Help

Being a maid of honour requires you to be there for the bride at all times but there should be a fine line between being supportive and overwhelming. Know when not to overdo it and remember to take a step back. If you’ve been chosen to be the maid of honour it’s probably because you’re the next closest lady to the bride and everyone expects you to know her deep in her bones. That being said, you have to know when she needs your intervention other than help. You can discuss the level of involvement you’ll take and how tasks should be delegated to the MOH and other team members of the bride.

2. Tag Along with the Dress Shopping

While other brides don’t ask their maid of honour to accompany them during wedding dress hunting, your BFF might ask you to. You can confirm this to your bride to ensure you get a blocked schedule for this day so you can be present when she needs you. This time is important for her especially if she doesn’t have a particular design in her mind yet. By having you along with other ladies in the family that matter to her. she can feel confident about the dress she’ll be choosing.

3. Spearhead the Bridal Party

When you accepted the role as a maid of honour, you also accepted the fact that you’ll like the ‘head master’ of the bridesmaids. This means you’ll be in charge of the pre-wedding activities such as bridal shower and bachelorette party. Of course, these events can come as a surprise that requires chip-ins so prepare a budget for such celebrations. You’re also expected to host these parties. You can either choose your home or a destination setting but it’s entirely up to you and the bridesmaids.

4. Be the Point of Contact

Other wedding guests typically have a lot of questions. The bride already has a lot on her plate so having you answer them can be a huge relief. From what’s the address of the venue to other information about the wedding, you can be the person in charge of this. While other brides take this matter into their hands, as a maid of honour, one of your duties is to make things easier for her.

5. Watch the Budget

Brides tend to get overwhelmed with all the beautiful things they can see. From accessories to shoes, she can drift off easily especially when she feels elated. With this, you have to set a gentle reminder of what her budget is and tell her not to splurge too much.

6. Send Updates to The Bridesmaids

Not every bridesmaid knows each other so it’s your job to connect them all with an icebreaker message. Whether it’s over an email, Snapchat, Instagram Facebook, SMS  or other social media platform of your choice. By doing so, you can make the following days easier and comfortable especially on the actual big day,

7. Mediator of A Conflict

You are chosen by the bride because of the tremendous amount of trust she has for you. That’s why you’re expected to mediate whenever there are commotions or arguments even before the wedding day. Bridesmaid conflicts can happen so it’s your job to prevent it from happening.

8. Create a Speech

As a maid of honor, guests expect you tell a wonderful tale about the bride, her future husband and their journey. This is among the most sacred and beautiful responsibility as a maid of honor so it’s best to prepare for you it. As much as possible, try not to embarrass her and bring up her not so fun past. Keep in mind that the speech should be light and airy to avoid awkwardness and uncomfortable energy with the bride.

9. Choose Songs

From bridal party songs to the receptions, you will all choose them. Make sure that the playlist you’ll be playing reflects your BFFs taste and personality. Remember, this is her day, not yours. Don’t play music that is meant for you.

10. Make Sure Everything is Moving

While there would be a wedding planner or coordinator, it’s best if you oversee everything and make sure everything is where it’s needed to be.

During the Wedding

11. Help in Dropping Off Any Reception Items

Other wedding essentials such as candles, toasting flutes, registry book and more should be dropped off at the reception. Ensure nothing is left behind.

12. Keep the Bridal Suit Clean and Organized

After all the preparation, it’s expected that the bridal suite will be left in a mess. It’s your duty to keep this are spick and span when the ceremony is finished.

13. Indulge Every Moment

Your topmost priority is to be with the bride at all times and calm her down as much as possible. But don’t forget to savor the moment as well.

14. Remind the Bride To Eat

Brides tend to forge to grab a bite especially on this big day. However, we don’t want her unenergized so it’s best to keep reminding her to drink and eat.

15. Keep an Eye Over the Liquor

Having liquor can be a disaster waiting to happen. So, make sure you keep an eye and that no one gets overly drunk that can cause conflict.

16. Assist the Mother’s Bride

Of course, don’t forget the bride’s mother. From offering your hand with her hair and makeup to water snacks, and having sips of champagne, remind her to enjoy the moment and let her know you will be of assistance.

17. Post on Social Media

Share to the world the amazing moments. It is a pleasant thing to wake up in the morning seeing different posts about your wedding day.

18. Don’t Let The Husband and Wife Cross Paths

Some tradition prohibits the future spouses from seeing each other. If that’s the case, you have to keep an eye on them so they don’t cross paths. You can also collaborate with the wedding planner to assist you with this setup.

19. Help the Bride with Her Wardrobe

Assisting the bride as she puts on what may be the most expensive and elaborate gown she will ever wear is no easy feat. You’ll want to make sure everything is laid out ahead of time, from underwear to shoes to jewelry, so you don’t have to scramble at the last minute to find those heirloom earrings or an extra pair of hose.

20. Be the Bride’s Personal Stylist

If you think an accessory fits her more, don’t hesitate to jump and offer your style opinion. While brides typically have an idea in their head, they could feel a little overwhelmed during the big day.

21. Offer Help in the Ladies Room

She’ll probably need some assistance getting her gown, heels, and hair into the ladies room for one more try before the wedding. Although this won’t be the most enjoyable task for a maid of honor, it’ll be a hilarious moment with some challenging maneuvers, but will give your relationship a whole new meaning.

22. Plan Your Hair and Makeup

Bring example images for the stylists and arrive on the wedding day with your beauty look already approved by the bride. By doing this, you’ll be able to advise other members of the bridal party on how they should dress to assist speed up the process.

23. Keep the Rings Safe

One of the best man’s responsibilities throughout the ceremony is to keep the wedding bands on until the vows are exchanged. However, there’s a strong possibility you’ll be in charge of preserving one of those priceless rings on the big day. Keep an eye on that object with your life.

24. Watch and Take Care of the Bouquet

As soon as the bride walks down the aisle, volunteer to hold her bouquet of flowers. You can return the bouquet to her to hold as she walks up the aisle after she says “I do.”

25. Gather Friends and Family for the Photos

It can be difficult to gather family members for posed photographs before or after the wedding. Offer to help speed up the procedure by lending a helping hand.

26. Keep Tabs on the Gifts Received

Ensure that all of the bride’s wedding presents, checks, and cards are delivered to her car or hotel room at the conclusion of the night.

After the Wedding

27. Double Check the Suites and Venue

Make sure nothing valuable is left in the bride’s suite or in any other room when the ceremony has ended. Guests can sometimes lose and misplace things so it’s best if you check every corner before wrapping up everything.

 

References:

• https://www.nuptials.ph/choosing-your-maid-of-honor/
• https://www.weddingwire.com/wedding-ideas/the-ultimate-maid-of-honor-duties-checklist
• https://modernmoh.com/maid-of-honor-duties/checklist-roles-responsibilities/