One of your closest friends has asked you to be her maid of honor. Don’t be intimidated. Embrace this special time in your friend’s life, and show her how much her friendship means to you.
You may be asked to throw the bridal shower, plan the bachelorette party, and provide emotional support to the bride. These four tips will help you navigate the responsibilities of being a maid of honor while nurturing your friendship with the bride.
Lead the Bridesmaids
As the maid of honor, one of your most important roles is to be a leader for the rest of the bridesmaids. Don’t hesitate to delegate responsibilities to the bridesmaids, keeping in mind how busy they are.
You may have to manage some conflicts among the bridesmaids. Try to keep these away from the bride as much as you can.
Bridesmaids come from different parts of the bride’s life and don’t always know one another. Some may live in distant cities and have a more difficult time getting involved in the wedding planning. It’s a great idea to plan a get-together for the bridal party before the big event. One suggestion is to take everyone out for dinner on the weekend of the bridal shower.
Help Shop for Dresses
One of the fun responsibilities of the maid of honor is helping to choose the wedding attire. Dress shopping can be a special opportunity to bond with the bride. When shopping for her wedding gown, be supportive and always be in her corner. Don’t let other family members steamroll her into buying a dress she doesn’t love.
An area that may present some difficulty is shopping for the bridesmaids’ dresses. If the bride insists on choosing something you and the other bridesmaids dislike, step in and let the bride know about your concerns. Gently guide her to a style you and the bridesmaids are comfortable with.
Gifts for the Bridal Party
Something special to do for the bridal party is to shop for matching gifts. You can choose something practical, like a shirt or slippers, or a sentimental keepsake! Pick something quirky for a DIY wedding or something elegant for a celebration that’s over the top.
A fun gift would be embroidered robes for the bridal party while everyone is getting ready for the wedding. The bride and bridesmaids can use these after the wedding for a sweet reminder of the time spent together.
Wedding-Day Support
As the maid of honor, your biggest responsibility is to support the bride on her wedding day. Be flexible and be ready for anything. The bride may need you to run last-minute errands, or she may lean on you for emotional support if she gets nervous.
It’s a great idea to pack an emergency kit for the bride, including supplies for doing minor repairs on her dress if she gets it caught on something. Make sure she takes care of herself in the middle of the wedding stress, eating and drinking enough water.
Embrace the Day
Our tips should help you navigate some of the harder parts of being the maid of honor. The most important thing is your friendship with the bride.
Someday, the wedding will be a distant memory. You’ll look back at the wedding album and see pictures of you and the bride beautifully dressed and smiling together. You’ll be glad you were her maid of honor.
