Being asked to be a maid of honor for one of your besties is such an honor and a privilege! In all of this – your main responsibility it to be the brides biggest supporter. And my guess is that you are already doing a great job at that role if you have been picked to be the maid of honor! However, there are other important duties to be aware of before saying yes to this role. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know to be the best maid of honor for your best friend.

1. Assist with wedding planning: This will look different for every bride. Some brides LOVE planning and have been dreaming about this their entire life. While others can’t wait for it to be over before it even starts. Regardless of the stance of the bride – it is your responsibility to be there for her in this even if it just means giving emotional support. Wedding planning can be taxing and stressful so you can come in with a sound mind and give advice where needed. Some practical things you can help out with are dress shopping, venue tours, cake tastings and communication with bridesmaids,

2. Gift tracker: At the bridal shower (that you may or may not throw for the bride – communicate with her family on this one) you will be the one to keep track of gifts and who got what for the bride. This will help tremendously when it comes time to write thank you notes. One of our favorite tips it putting envelopes at everyones seat at the shower and having them write their name and address on it. This will save the bride so much time and will allow her to get thank you notes out sooner.

3. Organizing the bachelorette party: Using your knowledge about the bride and all the creativity you can muster – create an unforgettable bachelorette party! Bachelorette parties can be as elaborate or simple as the bride would like. It is important to take into consideration the financial standing of the bridal party. Most likely, if your friend is getting married during college the bridal party isn’t going to want to do a long weekend in Nashville with all the bells and whistles (unless you plan on paying for all of it). If you are on a tighter budget think about what resources you have at your disposal. Does one of the bridesmaids have a family cottage on the lake? Are you skilled at giving at-home manicures? Is the brides sister an amazing baker? Think about the resources you already have and then build on that while being sure to incorporate all of the brides favorite activities, foods and vibes.

4. Be a fill-in DOC: If your bestie bride does not hire a day-of wedding coordinator (at minimum) you will have to step in and take on some of those duties. This includes, but is not limited to helping with setup, keeping the evening on schedule, communicating with vendors and family, providing an emergency bag with all the essentials, etc. We love working weddings and allowing not just the bride and family to relax but the bridal party too! I can’t tell you how many bridesmaids have come up to me and said “it was so great having you here – I’ve never been in a wedding where I didn’t have to do anything.” We recommend encouraging the bride to hire a coordinator for the big day so you both can make all the memories without all the stress.

5. Ceremony duties: During the wedding ceremony your primary role is going to be to hold the brides bouquet and be sure she is always looking her best by fixing her dress and veil. Most MOH’s know to fluff the dress at the beginning of the ceremony but many neglect the duty if the dress moves during the ceremony. Take your maid-of-honor skills to the next level by keeping an eye on the dress and veil throughout the ceremony and don’t be afraid to step in and fix it again as needed. Your friend will thank you and so will the photographer!!

6. Marriage License: You and the best man will need to be present when they sign the marriage license (immediately after the ceremony) to sign as a witness. What an honor!

7. Speeches: During the reception you will get to deliver a speech to honor the bride and groom. Now is a great time to share fond memories, things you love about the bride and well wishes for her and her new hubby. We recommend doing some research ahead of time on how to create the perfect MOH speech.

This list should give you a good idea of all necessary duties for a maid of honor. You know the bride best so if you anticipate she is going to need more support and help throughout the planning and wedding day be sure to offer that! Especially if she does not have a planner or coordinator she will likely need the additional support. You are going to rock this!

Photographers:

Natalie Marie https://www.nataliemarie.co/

Bre Thomas Photography www.brethomasphotography.com

Samantha Leigh https://samanthaleighstudios.com/

Rachel B Photography https://rachelbphotog.com/

Stephanie Baker Photography https://sbaker.us/

Ebby L Photography https://ebbylphotography.com/