Maid of Honour
Out of all her attendants, the bride relies most heavily on her maid of honor. Traditionally, the maid of honor is the bride’s sister or closest friend. A married honor attendant is technically referred to as a matron of honor, but this term is often replaced with the more commonly used ‘Maid of Honour”
One of the primary tasks the Maid of Honour undertakes is to act as a sounding board and to provide emotional support at times when the bride may feel overwhelmed (yes, this happens to almost EVERY single bride at some point during the planning journey).
Before the wedding, the maid of honour’s duties may include:
- Coordinating the bridesmaids’ activities (a full-time job in and of itself), such as
- Meeting for dress fittings
- Coordinating bridesmaid accessories and shoes
- Confirming hair and makeup appointments on the wedding day
- Help with transportation
- Arrange accommodation for the bridesmaids
- Coordinate work sessions to help the couple
- Addressing envelopes
- Organizing items for transportation on the wedding day
She is also responsible for organizing:
- The bridal shower
- Bachelorette party
She also helps the bride and groom with any preparatory errands or tasks, like keeping records of gifts. It’s really helpful if the MOH directs guest to the registry the couple has signed up for, or in some cases she can informally let guests know what the couple would appreciate as a wedding gift.
On the wedding day, the maid of honor:
- Helps the bride get dressed,
- Encourage the bride to eat and drink something
- Accompanies her to the ceremony
- She signs the marriage license as the bride’s witness
- Arranges her veil and train during the processional and recessional
- Holds her bouquet at the altar
- She might be responsible for holding the groom’s ring (putting it on her thumb is a great option).
- At the reception, she dances with the best man
- Organizes the bridesmaids for formal pictures
- She may be tasked with giving a short speech (less than 5 minutes long)
- Before the couple leaves for their honeymoon, she helps the bride change
- Makes certain her dress and bouquet are kept safe until she returns
The Maid of Honour is generally expected to pay for her dress, accessories, shoes, hair, makeup and transportation to and from the various functions related to the wedding, such as the bridal shower, bachelorette party and the wedding itself.
Ultimately, the most important role the Maid of Honour serves it to keep the bride laughing and to provide as much support as possible.
Other Roles & Responsibilities: