I’ve by no means been in a bridal line-up earlier than. So, it was with nice pleasure that I acquired an enchantment from my greatest buddy to be her maid of honor. Right here’s the problem, although. I don’t fairly know what the duties of maid of honor are. I do know that it appears to be essentially the most glamorous job, seeing that I would be the right-hand lady to the bride at this vital occasion.

So, I got down to discover out what a maid of honor duties and tasks are. However that’s not all, I needed to know what accepting maid of honor position meant, the principles to being a maid of honor, in addition to the maid of honor duties for bachelorette occasion and the marriage ceremony. Truthfully, my seek for data uncovered so much.

Who Is The Maid Of Honor?

The very first thing I did was to get readability on who the maid of honor really was. In some locations, she goes by the identify head bridesmaid or chief bridesmaid. Different acceptable titles are right-hand lady or honor attendant. Oftentimes, the honored position goes to a detailed feminine buddy or a relative that the bride chooses. Most significantly, whoever the bride-to-be chooses should be somebody she trusts and feels near. On this case, I suppose I match the invoice. Nonetheless, there was nonetheless one query the reply to which eluded me: what’s the maid of honor purported to do?

I used to be useless set on discovering the reply as a result of it held the important thing to determining the best way to be a superb maid of honor. In any case, my greatest buddy had bestowed this honor on me and I wasn’t going to disappoint her by not rising to the event or lacking out on sure key tasks of the maid of honor. So, I dove head-first into researching concerning the position of maid of honor.

I realized that the maid of honor is a key element in a marriage ceremony and the bridal occasion. I’d be answerable for numerous vital maid of honor duties, together with however not restricted to:

• Execute the marriage ceremony planning course of, together with the marriage planner
• Arrange occasions just like the bridal bathe, bachelorette festivities, and rehearsal dinner — the coveted maid of honor position within the bridal bathe and bachelorette occasion is the stuff of films
• Help with the bridal occasion and marriage ceremony gown purchasing
• Make the ribbon bouquet and another equipment the bride will want
• Give the maid of honor speech or toast on the marriage day — probably the most vital duties of a maid of honor on the marriage day
• Maintain the bridal bouquet throughout the marriage ceremony ceremony
• Modify the bride’s veil if needed
• Be an emotional help to my buddy as she goes by way of the stress of planning for the marriage and even afterward as she survives the primary 12 months of marriage, which is the toughest 

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The considered being the top bridesmaid is a bit intimidating, however one thing I appeared ahead to with nice pleasure. Fairly clearly, the maid of honor tasks are many and a few will not be essentially the most glamorous duties. “Do bridesmaids have comparable duties, too?” a buddy witnessing my analysis requested me. This bought me fascinated with the maid of honor vs. bridesmaids duties and tasks.

What Is The Distinction Between A Maid of Honor And Bridesmaids?

Maid of honor vs. bridesmaids — Is there a distinction? Properly, it seems there’s. Bridesmaids are additionally sometimes chosen by the bride and will comprise buddies or members of the family. As a part of the bridal occasion, bridesmaid duties embody:

• Addressing marriage ceremony invites
• Attending bridesmaid gown fittings
• Help in organizing pre-wedding occasions just like the bridal bathe, rehearsal dinner, and bachelorette occasion
• Holding the bridal bouquet
• Help with the bride’s practice on the marriage day
• Assist the bride and bridal occasion the place needed  

To summarize the maid of honor vs. bridesmaids debate, that is what it comes all the way down to. Although the bridesmaids are an integral a part of the marriage ceremony, the duties of a maid of honor on the marriage day in addition to within the run-up to the massive day carry extra weight since they’re very particular. Please enable me to preen for a second. Bridesmaids may be as many because the bride needs. However there’s, sometimes, just one unique maid of honor. She is the go-to useful resource for the marriage planner and different marriage ceremony distributors involved with the pre-wedding logistics; she may even counsel the greatest month to get married.

The maid of honor tasks make her the right-hand lady who totally represents the bride. Certainly, the bride depends upon her to provide the marriage friends one thing to speak about for a very long time afterward. She should additionally make sure the bridesmaid duties are carried out effectively. Additionally, as a maid of honor, my gown might differ barely from what the opposite bridesmaids will put on. Though, admittedly, that is as much as my buddy on whether or not she needs a special fashion, coloration, or embellishment for me. She’ll take my consolation under consideration, in fact.

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What Are The Maid Of Honor Duties Earlier than The Wedding ceremony

As soon as hand-picked for this job, one might spend loads of time questioning, “What to do as a maid of honor?” So, first issues first, let’s see if the maid of honor place is as glamorous because it appears to be. Properly, this Reddit person had a horrible expertise. In line with her, “The bride’s mother was horrible to me. I didn’t know the itinerary and needed to cater for bills I couldn’t afford. Whereas everybody went on vacation, I needed to keep behind selecting out decorations for the marriage ceremony.”

Clearly, whereas she might have given loads of thought to the best way to be a superb maid of honor, the bride-to-be and her household didn’t return that favor. Sadly, because of the expertise, her friendship with the bride didn’t survive. The lesson I realized from her story is to obviously talk with the bride-to-be so that everybody is on the identical web page so far as expectations and necessities are involved.

Talking of necessities, the maid of honor duties timeline within the marriage ceremony planning course of can vary from six months or perhaps a 12 months. Certainly it comes all the way down to the bride’s choice, the maid of honor’s availability, and size of engagement. I’m beneath no phantasm of the truth that the respect of being a maid of honor does include a big time funding. I went forward and put this into perspective by creating an honor duties guidelines to see what can be required of me within the coming days.

Maid of honor duties and tasks — Just a few months earlier than the marriage

The position of maid of honor required me to be current just a few months earlier than the marriage. There have been tons of pre-wedding occasions to see to. And, in fact, I needed to get the very best bridal bathe present of lace lingerie to boost the marriage evening. My buddy trusted me to:

• Help with the marriage planning course of by deciding on the marriage day theme and colours, and creating the marriage timeline
• Help, if needed, with getting related licenses and permits 
• Ship out the marriage friends’ invites 
• Assist the bride and bridal occasion with marriage ceremony gown purchasing or choice
• Along with all of the bridesmaids, set up and host the bridal bathe and bachelorette occasion. The maid of honor duties for bachelorette occasion embody guaranteeing every thing is well-planned and that the bride has the time of her life. To be trustworthy, nothing would make me happier than suggesting naughty video games to play on the bachelorette occasion 
• Attend gown fittings and, in fact, present helpful suggestions
• Store for the proper maid of honor current for bride

I wanted to put aside enough time effectively prematurely to satisfy my position because the chief bridesmaid. However hey, I’ve by no means been one to again down from a superb problem. I additionally favored this tip from a Reddit person on the bachelorette occasion and put it to good use. She says, “Customise issues to what the bride needs. Make it customized in order that she has a superb time. Don’t be pressured into doing what a member of the family of the opposite bridesmaids need.”

Maid of honor duties guidelines — Just a few weeks earlier than the marriage

Right here’s what I’m starting to appreciate in my journey of embracing the position of maid of honor: as you start to get a dangle of what to do as a maid of honor, time begins to expire. The stress of the marriage planning can be attending to the bride-to-be and the longer term groom. At this level, I have to bear in mind to share with them my favourite listing of hobbies for {couples} to strengthen their bond. I’m positive she’s going to admire the gesture so long as she is aware of that every thing is operating effectively. At this stage, my duties within the position of maid of honor entailed the next:

• Double-check with marriage ceremony distributors that the marriage day planning goes because it ought to (Think about the marriage cake not being prepared on time!)
• Help with any related pre-wedding duties, even when it means some DIYs, to see that the day is a convincing success
• Guarantee all of the bridesmaids have every thing they want, together with attire, schedules, and so on.
• Assist the bride-to-be create her marriage ceremony vows. Figuring out my buddy, she is fairly witty and really loving, so this half can be loads of enjoyable
• Put collectively an emergency package with fundamental necessities like security pins, make-up, tissues, and so on. The marriage emergency package can come in useful on the most opportune second, like if the bride’s make-up begins to run because of the feelings she can be experiencing. And also you by no means know when these security pins or style tape can come in useful

This was the time to begin tying up any free ends. As we bought nearer to the marriage day, issues wanted to fall into place. Ensuring that they do is without doubt one of the greatest tasks of the maid of honor.

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Maid of honor tasks — Per week earlier than the marriage

We had been now attending to the homestretch. There was loads of pleasure for the massive day. However on the similar time, there was loads of stress and fear for everybody concerned. That’s why I knew I wanted to take a position, prematurely, in some leisure items to alleviate stress. Not just for myself however for the bride-to-be as effectively. The maid of honor has the next roles and tasks every week earlier than the marriage:

• Take part within the marriage ceremony rehearsals
• Coordinate the pre-wedding festivities such because the rehearsal dinner
• Guarantee the security of vital bridal objects just like the gown and equipment
• Lock down the bridal suite and set up all of the requirements that the marriage occasion will want
• Make sure the bride-to-be has all of the emotional help she wants. If she is a ball of nerves six months to the marriage day, I do know that it’s going to solely worsen  

Maid of honor tasks — On the marriage day!

The D-day arrived, and all of the onerous work was put to the check. Even earlier than the ceremony started, tensions had been more likely to run excessive, and I wanted all of the concepts to get my girlfriend to cheer up and smile. There have been nonetheless so many issues to do because the duties of a maid of honor on the marriage day embody the next:

• Make sure the bridal suite has every thing the bride and her bridal occasion will want
• Assist with getting my buddy and the bridal occasion prepared
• The maid of honor duties in church embody holding the bridal bouquet too 
• Grow to be my buddy’s assistant throughout the marriage ceremony ceremony, catering to her each want
• Regulate vital particulars like how she seems, or any last-minute preparations 
• Give the maid of honor speech on the reception. This half has me sweating buckets as a result of public talking will not be my factor. I’m planning to write down down a humorous marriage ceremony toast to get everybody laughing 
• Be certain that the vital marriage ceremony friends just like the groom’s and bride’s mother, father, and household are taken care of — That is an important a part of the duties of maid of honor too

Overlook about having fun with the marriage like all the opposite friends. However seeing a smile on my buddy’s face was well worth the operating round. I felt I had lived as much as the tasks of the maid of honor.

Maid of honor duties within the church

Except it’s a non-religious marriage ceremony, the church ceremony is an integral a part of the occasion. The maid of honor has the vital position of guaranteeing every thing goes effectively for the bride. So what are the duties of a maid of honor in church? Right here’s what to do as a maid of honor to verify the ceremony goes as flawlessly as presumably:

• Holding the bride’s bouquet
• Serving to the bride placed on the marriage robe and all of the related equipment
• As a part of the processional, strolling down the aisle with the bridesmaids
• Standing by the bride throughout the vow ceremony
• Helping with the bride’s practice and veil 
• Witnessing the signing of the paperwork
• Coordinating the motion of the ring bearer who carries the bride’s and the groom’s rings
• Helping with post-wedding images, and so on.

Can the maid of honor be the ring bearer? Typically, that job goes to the very best man who’s tasked with holding the marriage rings and presenting them on the proper time. But when the bride needs the maid of honor to do the job, then she will.

And when can the maid of honor depart the marriage? I realized that it depends upon the occasion planning and whether or not my buddy wanted me all through the occasion. To ensure I might be by her aspect, I had to make sure all my tasks had been fulfilled and stayed by her aspect till the formal marriage ceremony ceremony was over. That’s the crux of the best way to be a superb maid of honor — all of it comes all the way down to dependability.

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What Are The Maid Of Honor Duties After The Wedding ceremony

I’m beginning to notice why the bride entrusts this obligation to somebody she actually trusts. Marriage means loads of issues to a girl and she or he wouldn’t give the duty to simply anybody. The maid of honor tasks don’t finish with the marriage day. Nope, I cannot put up my toes and relaxation as a result of the bride can be relying on me to tidy issues up after the friends have left. The maid of honor tasks instantly after the marriage are quite a few, akin to:

• Guarantee any private objects belonging to my newly married buddy are faraway from the bridal suite and the marriage occasion venue and put in a protected place
• Assist the bride get out of her marriage ceremony gown. After this, I want to make sure protected storage and cleansing of the gown
• Guarantee all of the items are taken care of and transported to the bride’s new residence

Maid of honor duties and tasks proceed for days or perhaps weeks after the marriage day. Issues get much less hectic by then. As an example, my buddy is already on her honeymoon now. By the point she returns, she might even have realized some harsh truths about marriage and can want my help. Now could be the time for the final stage of the maid of honor tasks:

• Help in sending ‘thanks’ notes to friends
• Coordinate the return of any rented/borrowed objects used throughout the marriage ceremony occasion
• Assist my greatest buddy acquire and protect recollections from the marriage day, e.g., photographs and items, or different keepsakes like the marriage invites 
• Help with managing all monetary obligations
• Provide ongoing help to my buddy if she wants me

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The duties could appear daunting laid out like this and make it appear to be it isn’t essentially the most glamorous job. However I cherished being within the thick of issues. I noticed there was nothing I wouldn’t do to make my buddy’s marriage ceremony occasion a convincing success.

It’s solely truthful to say that I used to be the right-hand lady to the bride as I took on the maid of honor tasks. I used to be, mainly, her eyes and ears for something associated to the marriage and the occasions round it. These included coordinating the bridal occasion, logistics, bridal bathe, bachelorette occasion, and extra. I hope that provides you a transparent reply to what’s the maid of honor purported to do.

Creating an honor duties guidelines actually helped give me a practical image of what the bride anticipated from me. I additionally know now that clear communication is essential to make sure that the maid of honor and the bride-to-be are on the identical web page about their needs, issues, wants, and limitations. However you realize what? I gave my 110% to the marriage occasion preparation as a result of I do know the day my marriage ceremony day rolls round, my greatest buddy will do the identical for me.

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