OMG your bestie has just asked you to be maid of honour at her wedding, yay! What a great honour! But with this honour comes great responsibility, too. Because being the M.O.H is so much more than being the female version of a best man. You’ll be chief opinion-giver for dresses, flowers and decor, you’ll become an event planner, and you’ll be your pal’s life coach and emotional support throughout the whole process. Actually, Maid of Honour is one of the most integral roles at a wedding so here’s just some of the important M.O.H duties that you might need to take on in the run-up to your best friend’s big day and how to smash it…
HELP SECURE THE DRESS AND RINGS
Don’t be surprised if you head out engagement ring with the groom before he even proposes! As your best friend’s bestie, you know her better than anyone, so it’s only natural that he’ll want your advice when choosing the ring. And when it comes to shopping for dresses, suits and wedding rings you’ll probably be there right alongside the bride, groom and best man! You’ll be a great sounding-board for their choices – just be sure to stay neutral if asked for your opinion!
When it’s time to show for the wedding dress, this tends to be a ladies-only event. As head bridesmaid you might need to make bookings for dress fittings at bridal boutiques – and make sure the shop has enough champagne for you all! This will make the whole experience a bit of an ‘event’ rather than a task to complete and the bride will think you’re ACE for organising it. Book it on a day that the mother of the bride and the other bridesmaids can be there to help the bride choose her dream dress and ensure that the bride chooses the most beautiful design that suits her shape and personality.
HEN PARTY
The bride may (or may not!) want a hen party but you know your pal best so there’s no doubt that you could arrange an event that she will enjoy. It could be an activity day, a relaxed dinner out with friends, a shopping trip or a girlie sleepover. Alternatively, your pal might be keen to enjoy a night out on the tiles, dancing til dawn. There are plenty of free hen party games you can find online to help break the ice if there are guests who don’t yet know each other. Don’t forget the ‘L’ plate and veil!
If you’ve ever been invited to a hen party you’ll know that sometimes they turn into a full-on weekend away with hot tubs and dance lessons etc. As the Maid of Honour you’ll be the event planner for this weekend, deciding on the hen party budget for accommodation and arranging a weekend of activities that the bride will love. How about a glamping break or a spa weekend? A driving experience or a baking lesson? Have a think about her favourite hobbies and try to incorporate them.
BE THE POINT OF CONTACT
You’ll basically be tackling a lot of the admin and logistical tasks in the run up to the wedding and on the big day itself. I suspect that you want your best friend to really enjoy her wedding day and not even have to think about where the photo booth should be set up on the morning of the wedding, or how to direct a lost guest to the reception. So, on the wedding day it sometimes falls to the maid of honour to be the point of contact for guests and wedding suppliers.
Help out by ensuring that all guests know how to get to the venue and you can delegate tasks to all the other people who have taken on roles for the day including bridesmaids and ushers. I’ve also seen many M.O.H’s running around gathering groups of family and friends together for photographs, which is a tough task when the welcome drinks are being served. Good luck with that!
KEEP THE BRIDE CALM
Even though it will be the best, happiest, most magical and memorable day of the bride’s life, most wedding days can be stressful and she may be feeling nervous. As her best friend all you need to do is stay clam, be supportive and keep her updated so that she can feel reassured, knowing that everything is taken care of. If any problems do arise, make sure that the bride is protected so that she can enjoy the wedding, completely oblivious that anything ever went awry.
While being maid of honour for your best friend is indeed an honour, it also carries a variety of responsibilities so I hope today’s blog post has helped you to prepare to be the ultimate MOH at your friend’s wedding!
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