Getting asked to be the maid of honor is a big deal, and it says quite a lot about you. Being asked means that the bride believes you’re a very special person in her life, as well as responsible, trustworthy, and organized enough to get the job done. But what exactly will your duties be? If you’ve never had this opportunity before, you might be wondering.

Pre-Wedding Maid Of Honor Duties

Outlined below are the maid of honor’s duties before the wedding day. There’s a lot of responsibilities, hosting, and planning. Basically, you’ll be the bride’s go-to person.

Attend The Fittings

The bride will most likely ask you and a small group to join her to go wedding dress shopping. Being in attendance is important, as you can offer the bride suggestions during the fitting process. You’ll also be expected to be there for her for all the little things she needs while the fitting goes on.

Be There For Her

Planning a wedding can cause a lot of stress for the bride and the groom. Just being there for the bride can make a world of difference for her during this process.

When she gets stressed out, she needs to be able to reach out to you to vent or get your opinion. There are all kinds of small, seemingly insignificant situations that might arise—and knowing you’re there for her will give her peace of mind.

Head Up The Bridal Party

As the maid of honor, one of your duties is to be the leader of the bridal party. The other bridesmaids will be looking to you for answers, and it’s your duty to help them out.

At the very least, what you can do as the maid of honor is to relay all of the bridesmaids’ questions or concerns to the bride so that she isn’t dealing with six different people texting and calling her the same questions over and over again.

You’ll want to be in frequent contact with the bridesmaids, making sure they’re able to attend any bridal events, as well as discussing any wedding-related details.

Communication is key here, as it will help everything run a lot smoother.

Plan The Bachelorette Party

As the maid of honor, one of your more important duties is to plan the bachelorette party.

Some brides may choose to be heavily involved, while others may choose to simply leave it all to you. But you don’t have to do it alone. Work with the other bridesmaids and delegate some of the responsibilities for the party. You shouldn’t have to take on all of the responsibility yourself.

Since bachelorette parties can get expensive, it’s important to highlight the costs to the bridesmaids and make sure that what you’re planning falls within their budget.

Everyone might not have the necessary financial stability to attend elaborate bachelorette parties, so check to see what the bridesmaids are able to afford.

Be A Good Hostess

It’s important as the maid of honor that you’re comfortable working with others and arranging events. Besides the bachelorette party, you will most likely be expected to host the bridal shower, and this requires lots of speaking to people and answering questions.

Attend Pre-Wedding Events

There are a number of events that will take place before the actual wedding day, and one of the maid of honor duties is to be in attendance these events.

These events often include the engagement party, the bridal shower, the bachelorette party, and the rehearsal dinner. There are also often bridal luncheons and other bridal outings.

Wedding Day Maid Of Honor Duties

Outlined below are the maid of honor’s duties throughout the wedding day. It can be a long process, so make sure you take note of these responsibilities.

Be There Bright And Early

You’re going to be at the bride’s side for the entire day—and that means your morning will start early.

The bridesmaids and yourself will be getting dressed and prepared with the bride early in the morning. Helping the bride get ready has always been a fun tradition, and your duty as maid of honor is to lead the way.

Make Sure The Bride Is Calm

The bride is going to have a whirlwind of emotions on the wedding day, and making sure that she stays calm is of utmost importance. Make sure she’s focused on the important things instead of all the small annoying moments throughout the day. If she’s chosen you to be her maid of honor, chances are you have the ability to help her chill.

Be A Point of Contact

The last thing the bride needs on her wedding day is to be bombarded by vendors, family, and friends all asking her questions. As the maid of honor, you should become a point of contact for the vendors to help them with any needs.

Ceremony Duties

During the ceremony, make sure the bride looks good as after she walks down the aisle. Her veil and train should look elegant, her hair and makeup should be perfect, and there shouldn’t be any spots or wrinkles on her dress.

Maids of honor are expected to hold the bride’s bouquet during the ceremony. She will pass it to you once she has walked down the aisle.

Signing The Marriage License

The marriage license needs to be signed by both the bride and groom, as well as two witnesses. Usually the two witnesses are the maid of honor and the best man, so you’ll most likely be expected to do this.

Be The Life Of The Party

Once the wedding ceremony is over, it’s time to party! It’s one of the maid of honor duties to help bring the reception to life.

This means from the moment you step into the wedding venue, you’ll be on the dance floor the majority of the night dancing with the bride and everyone else. It also means you should encourage guests who aren’t dancing to get out there and cut a rug. Sometimes all they need is a little push.

Maid Of Honor Speech

Unless your bride has said she isn’t into having speeches, you’ll need to prepare one and speak to the crowd. Your speech should be around five minutes long, and should come from the heart.

Help The Bride During The Reception

Keep an eye on the bride during the reception. Make sure she’s taking frequent breaks to get something to eat and drink, because often at receptions, brides can get so distracted talking to everyone or dancing that they forget to have their own wedding food.

If you’ve been chosen to be a maid of honor, congratulations! It’s a special role that is very meaningful to the bride. Good luck!