A Guide on the Maid of Honor’s Duties

Hurray! Your best friend, sister, or close relative is finally tying the knot, and she asked you to be her maid of honor! While it is an exciting adventure, you start developing cold feet and anxiety. Well, that is normal, and you shouldn’t worry. At Curated events, we understand how daunting the task can be.

A maid of honor is more than someone standing behind the bride. You are a best friend, a confidant, a shoulder to lean on, and the bride’s voice of reason. Furthermore, you have several other responsibilities, like leading the bridal party, planning a bridal shower, and hyping the wedding.

If you want to up your game and become an excellent maid of honor, our guide will help make your work easier. We’ll cover the maid of honor duties before and during the wedding. Our Curated Events team can also help in planning the wedding.

List of Maid of Honor Duties

Before the Wedding

• Attend and assist with wedding dress shopping
• Lead and coordinate the bridal party
• Help plan and organize the wedding
• Offer emotional support to the bride
• Act as a point of contact for guests and vendors
• Prepare a wedding day emergency kit
• Plan the bridal shower and bachelorette party

On the Wedding Day

• Help the bride get ready
• Ensure the bridesmaids are ready and on time
• Serve as the bride’s personal assistant
• Communicate with vendors and guests
• Give a toast or speech at the reception
• Keep track of gifts received during the wedding

Maid of Honor Duties Before the Wedding

Your work as a maid of honor starts after they bestow the role on you. Here are some of the maid of honor duties you’ll handle as the wedding approaches.

Join in Wedding Dress Shopping

Helping in wedding dress shopping is arguably one of the best maids of honor responsibilities. However, while most brides ask their maids of honor to be present for this, some don’t. If your bride asks for your presence, you ought to show.

Your work is to help with the fitting and give your honest opinion. Help zip up the dresses, hang them on the hangers, and make a wedding dress board. Also, remember to be present for the dress alterations.

Lead and Guide the Bridal Party

As the maid of honor; you are the de facto bridal party leader. You are responsible for ensuring cohesion and collaboration among the bridesmaids and solving conflicts. You’ll introduce them to each other and act as an icebreaker.

Secondly, you must ensure that the party dresses are fit and ready before the wedding. The dresses are to par with the chosen color palettes. You’ll keep them on their toes and ensure they are prepared before the wedding.

Ensure you have the bridesmaids’ contacts by your side.

Help Plan the Wedding

Planning a wedding is a tedious task. There are several things to be done within a short time, and it could make the bride exhausted. While some brides prefer handling the tasks themselves, it is your responsibility as the right-hand person to help relieve the bride. Remember, you know her and her preferences, so your input can help.

You can help the bride find vendors, prepare the invitation cards, and choose the bridesmaids’ dresses. You can provide feedback on the progress, and they’ll appreciate your constant support.

Offer Emotional Support to the Bride

The tedious nature of preparing a wedding can take an emotional toll on the bride. Coupled with the anxiety of the big decision to wed, it could easily overwhelm them. It is your work as the maid of honor to check up on the bride and ensure she is doing well mentally and emotionally.

Reach out regularly and try to engage them in other fun things that don’t relate to the wedding. As a result, they can relax and have a clearer vision. They will appreciate you for this intangible gesture.

Act as a Point of Contact

Planning a wedding is already tiresome; having several people call and ask about the same can frustrate the bride. As such, you must relieve them of this responsibility and become the point of contact between the bride and others. It will save the bride time concentrating on other things and ease pressure and stress.

Ensure you grasp the wedding information so you can answer any questions for the bride.

Prepare a Wedding Survival Kit

While you can prepare for everything, you must always anticipate problems. A lot can go wrong before and during the wedding, and it is essential to plan for such scenarios.

You can carry some bridesmaid essentials like hair ties, safety pins, band-aids, and other emergency items that you may need. You can also have emergency vendor numbers if one of the chosen ones fails to show up or deliver.

Plan the Bridal Shower and Bachelorette Party

Bridal showers and bachelorette parties are usually confused as the same thing but are different. The common thing is that the maid of honor plans them.

A bridal shower involves the bride’s closest friends and family. It prepares the bride for her new life as a wife and consists of talks and advice. On the other hand, a bridal party is meant to destress the bride and the bridal party. It is attended strictly by the bride and bridesmaids, and it is all about partying.

You will plan this event and ensure that they run smoothly. You are also responsible for keeping track of all presents given to the bride.

Maid of Honor Responsibilities on the Wedding Day

Here is the maid of honor’s responsibilities on the wedding day.

Help the Bride Prepare for the Day

One of the most special maids of honor responsibilities is ensuring the bride is ready for the day. You’ve helped pick and fit the wedding dress, and it is time to help button up your bride in that stunning gown.

Ensure that they do their hair and makeup perfectly and the dress is in the proper condition. You may have to share the duty with a close relative like the bride’s mother or sister.

You must also ensure that you and the bride eat and hydrate enough before the wedding starts.

Coordinate the Bridesmaids

The bridesmaids are essential to any wedding; having them ready and on time is crucial. As their leader, you must ensure they carry out their duties and get ready on time. Ensure they are dressed and have their makeup on to avoid rushing anything.

You can manage your bridesmaids through a set-out timetable and regular progress check-ins. Encourage the bride’s party to do everything a bit earlier than stated.

Serve as the Bride’s Personal Help

You’ll act as the bride’s assistant on this special day. It’s the most observable maid of honor role and the one you may know. You’ll have duties while walking down the aisle and at the end.

When the bride is walking down the aisle, you’ll adjust the bride’s veil and gown so they can walk without tripping. You’ll repeat the same at the end of the aisle to ensure it is perfect for gorgeous wedding photos.

You’ll also hold some items for the bride throughout the ceremony. You’ll carry the flower bouquet as she exchanges vows and rings and the marriage certificate after they sign it. Your work ensures the bride can enjoy the day to the fullest.

You may also be in charge of keeping track of all presents given to the married couple.

Point of Communication with Vendors and Guests

You want your bride to forget about everything else and enjoy the day she gets married. As such, you don’t want her to get bothered. You must act as the point of communication between them and anyone else. Ensure you know all the vendors and are prepared to handle any questions.

TIP: Ensure you have the vendor payments ready to avoid confrontations.

Make a Toast/Speech

As the bride’s best friend and confidant; you should deliver a heartwarming speech at the reception. Learn how to prepare a wedding speech and concentrate on the good memories that led to that day.

Make it heartfelt, and throw in a few of your favorite jokes to make it more personal. Just ensure you don’t embarrass the bride by mistake.

Enjoying Your Role as Maid of Honor

The maid of honor is a cherishable role you must handle with care. You must take on a lot from the point of bestowment to the reception on the wedding day. While it is challenging, you can prepare and enjoy the adventure.

Ensure you go through our guide on the maid of honor’s duties, which will prepare you for the challenge ahead. Always ensure that you consult with the bride before making any major decision.

If you are helping the bride look for a Wedding planner, our Curate Events services are perfect. We have the best team in the field to ensure the wedding is a success. Please contact us for consultations.

Maid of Honor FAQs

What are my duties as the maid of honor?

As the maid of honor, you’ll help plan the wedding and go wedding dress shopping. On the wedding day, you’ll help the bride get ready, hold some things for her, ensure she eats and hydrates, and take charge of any eventuality. These are just some of the essential duties of the maid of honor that every MOH should know.

What’s the primary duty of the maid of honor?

The most important maid of honor role is assisting the bride during the planning stage and the wedding day. You are the support system, the manager, the peacekeeper, and the point of contact. This sums up what a maid of honor truly is.

What does the maid of honor pay for?

Since the maid of honor is planning the bachelorette party, you’ll pay for the tiaras, food, drinks, and anything else you’ll need at the party.

What do maid of honors do during the ceremony?

During the ceremony, the maid of honor adjusts the bride’s gown and veil, holds the bouquet during the vows, and signs the marriage license as a witness. These visible roles are part of what maid of honors do.

What is a maid of honor expected to do emotionally?

Aside from logistics, what is a maid of honor emotionally? She’s the bride’s emotional anchor—offering encouragement, calming nerves, and keeping the energy positive before and during the big day.

Can the maid of honor help with wedding planning?

Absolutely! Helping to select vendors, manage RSVPs, or simply providing ideas and feedback are key maid of honor duties that reduce the bride’s stress.

How early should I start preparing for maid of honor tasks?

As soon as you’re asked! The earlier you begin planning bridal events and staying in the loop, the smoother the experience will be. Knowing what maid of honors do well in advance helps you prepare for every detail with ease.