A Step-By-Step Guide For The Maid Of Honour In The Lead Up To A Wedding

Being asked to be the maid of honour for the bride (like the name) is an honour. It shows the brides appreciation for you and their trust in you. However with this also comes a lot of planning. Navigating the planning process can be tricky, especially as you want it to be perfect for the bride. 

We have created a list of responsibilities that the maid of honour should carry out in preparation for the bride and groom’s big day to refer back to whenever you need a little inspiration. 

Communicate with the Bride 

Although this may seem obvious, communicating with the bride is extremely important. Not only do you need to plan events you also need to be the bride’s moral support. Getting married can be stressful and daunting and as the maid of honour, you should do everything you can to keep the bride calm in what should be an exciting time. 

Your main job as a maid of honour is to be an extra set of hands for the bride, therefore ask what you can do to help. Your job is not to take over the planning of the wedding but just be there for support whenever needed.

Introduce Yourself

Usually, in a lot of bridal parties, not all the bridesmaids are familiar with each other. As the maid of honour, a part of your duties is that you keep everything running smoothly within the bridal party. 

Introducing yourself and becoming the ice breaker is a great way to get all of the brides to be familiarised with each other. You can then ask everyone to send their contact details so you all are able to keep in contact to the lead up to the wedding.

Know The Budget

Traditionally the maid of honour, along with the bridesmaids, will plan and pay for the hen do or bridal shower. If you are also planning on doing this, it is important that you establish the budget. 

Consider all the bridesmaids and agree on a price everyone can afford. If you do not discuss everyone’s budget beforehand you may set yourself up for issues in the long run therefore having a clear discussion before anything has been booked is vital.

Wedding and Bridesmaid Dress Shopping

One of the very exciting parts of planning a wedding is dress shopping! When it comes to the bride’s dress shopping, as the maid of honour, you should be there giving support. Be honest when voicing your opinions on the different dress options because as the maid of honour, the bride has put the most trust in you and your opinions. 

When it comes to the time to find the bridesmaid and the maid of honours dresses, the overall decision of what the bridal party wears is up to the bride however as you will be wearing it, of course, feel free to voice your opinions as you want to feel comfortable on the day.

The most important part of shopping for your maid of honour dress is to make sure you have ordered it on time. Ensure you have ordered it and given yourself enough time to get any altercations done that might be needed as you do not want to leave this for the last minute. 

Plan The Hen Do

Possibly your most important task, planning the hen do. Whatever plan you decide to make, communication is key. Making sure everyone is aware of the plans and the role they play in the planning of the bachelorette party. 

Planning the event over a period of time is advised as you don’t want to have a lot on your plate all at once. Assign each bridesmaid duties to help the planning process.

It is important that the bride is the top priority when planning the hen do, as it is for her after all. Don’t get too caught up in what you see on social media at other hen dos and focus on what you know the bride will want and enjoy.

Prepare A Speech

Sometimes it may just be the bride’s family making a speech however a lot of the time the maid of honour makes a speech at the wedding. 

If you are making a speech, you need to prepare it. To save the stress of having to come up with a speech all in one day, jot ideas down throughout the months leading up to the wedding. This way when the time does come to write the speech, you have points you can already write about, making it a lot easier to write.

Now you are aware of just some of the steps you need to take as a maid of honour in preparation for the wedding day. Remember to enjoy the moment and enjoy the experience.