Maid of honor responsibilities to help the bride aren’t quite what they used to be. Your choice will need to be on her toes in a very different way. The maid of honor is in charge of the bachelorette party and bridal shower. She also leads the rest of the bridesmaids throughout the planning process and on the day-of. A bride will traditionally appoint a sister, female relative, or best friend as the maid of honor. It is a privilege reserved for the closest person to her. Here are some of her roles.
Ensure Bride enjoys Events leading up to Wedding
Brides have a lot to do while at their wedding. While your maid of honor should be your go-to source for an extra set of hands, it’s more important she ensures you enjoy every moment of your engagement leading up to the wedding. From getting mani-pedis to a full-blown girls’ night out, your MOH is first and foremost your best friend. That’s the role she should take most seriously during the planning process.
Shopping Consultant
Brides usually make an event of wedding dress shopping so your maid of honor should be at the top of your guest list to help you. She should be from fitting room to fitting room, as you try on way more wedding dresses than you ever intended. She should be willing to give her honest opinions and constructive criticism.
Point Person
Brides usually don’t have time for wedding guests bugging them about such details as what time the ceremony starts and where you’re registered. Brides.com suggests give all the information to your maid of honor, so she can be your guests’ point person. When questions arise she can take pressure off you and point them in the right direction.
Bridesmaid Wrangler
Your maid of honor is also your bridesmaids’ go-to. She can try to keep the peace between any conflicting personalities in the group because the last thing you need is to be mediating fights between them. You need someone to delegate & assign tasks concerning any pre-wedding events. She will be available to answer any questions the bridesmaids may have about where and when they should be on the wedding day.
Party Planner for Pre Wedding events
Maids of honor lead the way when it comes to planning the bridal shower and bachelorette party. From reaching out to family members and bridesmaids to help with the details of planning to keeping everyone’s budgets in mind, maids of honor become expert party planners during the wedding process.
Your Record Keeper
If you’re opening gifts at your bridal shower, your maid of honor should keep track of who gave you what. This is another one of those maid of honor responsibilities to help the bride that will give you an easier time writing those thank-you notes later.
Timeline Tracker Helper
While you might have a planner or coordinator who will take the helm when it comes to your wedding day timeline, it’s worth sharing with your maid of honor as well. She’ll be able to watch the time in the bridal suite, making sure hair and makeup appointments are moving along, and let you know when it’s almost time to get in your dress.
Another Maid of Honor Responsibilities to Help the Bride, Food Provider
A hungry bride can get cranky and uptight, especially when the reception is many hours away. Your MOH should check in periodically to see if you or the rest of bridal need something to snack on while the bridesmaids are getting ready or before the bride leaves the bridal suite for your ceremony or reception. You may be too excited to think about food so if she can provide a quick healthy light snack it will help you fend off hunger pains for you and the bridal party.
Social Media Point Person
You should spend the morning of your wedding relaxing and staying as unplugged as possible, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be documented. Give your maid of honor your phone so she can get behind-the-scenes shots of the champagne toasts, happy tears, and the moment you slip on your dress. Let her know if you want these moments to be private or if you’re all about Instagram, you could also ask your MOH to post to your accounts throughout the day. Don’t forget to give her your hashtag.
Bathroom Companion
This isn’t the most glamorous task, but you’ll appreciate it: a little help from your MOH getting the dress, heels, and hair into the ladies room for a final go before the ceremony begins. It’s a moment full of laughter and some tricky maneuvers, which no one will forget. It gives new meaning to BFF.
Toast Maker
Some brides opt to have only family members give speeches at their receptions. Others forgo speeches entirely. But your maid of honor should always be game to deliver a speech—and not embarrass you during it.
Dance Partner
You’ve made it to the reception, when hopefully all the planning stress has melted away and you’re finally married. Celebrate on the ballroom floor and grab your MOH for plenty of boogying to your favorite jams. As much as you’ll want to get down with your new spouse, don’t forget your main dance floor partner through the years. Selfies are welcome.
