Being the maid of honor to someone you’re close to is a special role. This can be both an exciting and stressful time, and as the maid of honor, you’ll have some duties to perform throughout the wedding planning process and on the day of the wedding. Below, you’ll find a lot of helpful information on what your duties may include!

Let’s Discuss Maid of Honor Duties and Responsibilities

Pre-Wedding

Dress Shopping

As the maid of honor, one of the most exciting tasks is to go wedding dress shopping with the bride! Remember to be completely supportive of the bride and to make her feel beautiful. No matter how picky or self-conscious she may be, never shame her concerns or criticisms. Your job is to help her choose the dress that makes her feel incredible.

You should also attend the dress fitting with the bride if you’re able to. This will allow you to learn more about the dress, and how it needs to be cared for; i.e.how best to fluff and straighten it throughout the night and/or how to bustle it.

Plan the Bridal Shower and Bachelorette Party

The maid of honor is essential to the events surrounding the wedding. Traditionally, the MOH will be in charge of planning (or assist in the planning of) the bridal shower and  bachelorette party. You need to keep all of these plans organized not just for yourself but for anyone else involved in helping plan or paying for the event.

During the Wedding

Hold the Bride’s Bouquet After She Walks Down the Aisle

When the bride reaches the altar, she will need to pass along her bouquet so that she can take the hands of her husband-to-be. You will be in charge of taking the bouquet – just make sure to fix her train and/or veil first – and then passing the bouquet back before she and the groom walk back down the aisle.

Hold Onto the Groom’s Ring

We would normally suggest that the best man hold onto both rings for safekeeping as they typically have more secure pockets to protect the rings. However, if this isn’t an option then the maid of honor will be on ring duty. Keep it somewhere safe and secure until it is asked for during the ceremony.

Witness and Sign the Marriage License

Different states have different laws on marriage licenses and how they need to be signed. If the marriage license requires a witness to sign the marriage license, the couple may ask their maid of honor and/or best man to take on the role.

Give A Toast to the Couple

As the Maid of Honor, a speech is expected of you during the reception. Most likely, it will come towards the end of dinner. You should plan to keep it short and sweet – introduce yourself,  thank everyone for coming, and mention how thrilled you are that your friend has found love. If you can’t memorize your speech, try writing it out on paper as opposed to using your phone.

Post-Wedding

If the couple is planning to leave for their honeymoon right away, you should take on the task of getting the bride’s dress and personal items to a specified location. The best way to make sure you do this successfully is simply by putting your mind to it and planning in advance. You should also consider doing the same for the wedding  gifts.

To be a great maid of honor, you must love your friend and be supportive throughout the wedding planning process. We hope that the above tips have helped you think about what you can do to make the day truly spectacular for your bride. Good luck, and have fun!

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