The Maid of Honor is a very special person in a bride’s life. She is usually the person closest to the bride. It can be a sister, a friend, or these days, even a male friend or relative!
The Maid of Honor has a number of duties, so before you accept the position, (or offer it), make sure you know what is expected.
The head bridesmaid is in charge of the female bridal party. There are certain expenses involved with being the Maid of Honor including the throwing of the bridal shower and bachelorette party. If you are unable or unwilling to pay for the bulk of these parties, think about graciously turning down the honor. However, if you’re very close to the bride, go ahead and accept. These days other bridesmaids are often willing to chip in and help you out so you don’t have to shoulder all the expenses yourself.
So, once you accept, your job begins. You’ll be in charge of making sure the bride has everything she needs as far as moral support. You’ll go wedding dress shopping with her and help her decide on bridesmaid dresses, shoes, and bridal jewelry. You can also help write out wedding invitations and stationery or any other jobs she wants you to help out with. You may be asked to coordinate the groomsmen the day of the wedding and make sure no one wanders off.
Basically, you’re there to stand up for your sister or best friend, the bride. The day of the wedding, you are there to run damage control. If she gets a run in her stockings, you’re there with a new pair. If one of her bridesmaids has a headache, you run to her with aspirin. You’re her right hand for the day heading off any emergencies before they happen. You’ll walk right in front of her down the aisle as the last bridesmaid to proceed.
At the ceremony, you’ll hold her bouquet. If you see something going awry—like a bridesmaid about to faint—you take care of it. Anything that will keep the bride from having to divert her attention is your job. You’ll also want to gather all the people in the bridal party for photos. The bride should not be running around looking for her brother or the groom’s best friend right before the photos. Keep your eye out and know the whereabouts of everyone who is needed for photos.
The fun part is the speech you get to make. You’ll be asked to say a few words about your friend, the bride. This can be a prepared speech that you bring on index cards, or if you’re a more informal sort of person who is comfortable speaking in public, you can just do it off the cuff. Make sure to say something complimentary about the bride, groom and the parents of both. Thank them for having you as the Maid of Honor and then tell a witty story. Keep it short and sweet.
At the reception you are free to enjoy yourself. You’ll also want to ensure that others are having a good time as well. Welcome and introduce yourself to any guest who looks alone or uncomfortable. Dance with the groomsmen. Mingle and show the bride that you’re having a good time and that everything is under complete control. If you're the bride, you can't forget to recognize all the efforts that your maid of honor has gone through to make your day special. Be sure to present her with one or more maid of honor gifts before or after the wedding to show your appreciation.
If you enjoyed this article, you'll like this post on the Roles of Bridal Party Members.
