What the Maid of Honor Needs to Know – Duties and Expectations of the MOH

So you’ve been asked to be the Maid of Honor at a wedding? First of all, congratulations! This is a big honor! You’ve been asked to be the go-to person in the most important day of someone’s life. With this honor does come a lot of responsibilities. You’ll be asked to give your opinion on major parts of the wedding, help pick out the dress, organize parties, and be a stable emotional source for the bride. Before you get overwhelmed, we’ve come up with a handy list of things to expect and do as the Maid of Honor.

1. Start making lists. The bride will more than likely be making lists of her own, but you’re her right-hand woman, so you need to be on the ball as well. Start a calendar to keep track of all the important days and stay in communication with the other bridesmaids so you can coordinate everything from wedding dress fittings, makeup trials, and the bachelorette party.
2. Plan the shower. While the bride is busy planning the wedding, you’ll be busy planning the bridal shower and bachelorette party. While these pre-wedding parties fall on your shoulders consider the bride and what she would want before picking a theme. Check out our ideas for a fun Bridal Shower here.
3. Be honest and listen. This is not the time to be a “yes man”. If something doesn’t look good, make sure you tell the bride when she asks for your opinion. Sometimes though, the bride just needs to vent. Planning for this special day is bound to be stressful. Be there as a calming presence. Listen, but don’t start freaking out too. After the ranting and raving is done, take a deep breath and try to bring the bride back down to reality.
4. Be prepared. On the day of the wedding, be ready to jump into crisis mode. Sure, you may want to relax and have a good time, but this isn’t any normal party. Today, it is your job to make sure the bride doesn’t have a meltdown and little fires are put out. Make sure to bring an emergency kit on the day of the wedding. Check out our list of must needed items here. Having a band-aid, blow dryer, or makeup remover wipe handy can easily prevent situations from turning into disasters.
5. Ask for help. Remember you’re not alone in this. There will be at least a couple of other bridesmaids ready to help you, so make sure you ask for help when you need it!
6. Have fun. All the party planning can get overwhelming but remember to have fun. Whether this is your best friend or your sister’’s wedding, you want to make it special for them and enjoy the ride right along with them.