Maid of Honor Checklist

February 18th, 2022 Wedding IDEAS, INSPIRATION AND INSIDER TIPS

What Does a Maid of Honor Do? Duties & Responsibilities

Your best friend is getting married, but what does this mean for you as the Maid/Matron of Honor? Don’t fret — we have broken down your possible responsibilities in this simple guide that will make you MVP by the time your friends are ready for their “I Do’s”.

What Exactly Is a Maid of Honor?

A maid of honor is someone the bride selects to be their go-to person for everything wedding related from planning to the big day. Being asked to be someone’s maid/matron of honor is a huge compliment, as it means you’re nearest and dearest to the bride. Oftentimes, maids and matrons of honor are family members or best friends. A matron of honor is an honor attendant who is married while the maid of honor is not married.

The maid of honor’s (MOH) responsibilities start the day you accept. You are typically responsible for helping plan the bachelorette party, giving a speech at the wedding and absolutely anything the bride needs throughout the entire wedding planning process! Essentially, you are signed up to help them out whenever needed.

List of Maid of Honor Duties

We will go through the different events leading up to a wedding that will be a big portion of your maid of honor duties. You should be willing to help and plan each of the events, and most of all, keep your bride organized and stress-free during these times!

Before the Wedding

Help with the Wedding Dress Shopping

Helping the bride with dress shopping isn’t limited to just tagging along at appointments. There are other ways to help them prepare for dress shopping, including browsing online to find silhouettes and features of interest. 

When you get to the appointment, the bride is looking to you for advice and input on the dress she will be wearing on her big day. Be polite and honest, but also respectful when giving your advice. Just keep in mind that it’s not going to be you who’ll be wearing the gown. 

Be ready to help the bride decide on a bridesmaid dress that fits all the bridesmaids’ styles and personalities. Be mindful that finding one dress that everyone looks good in can be a difficult task, so be prepared to bring your calming and positive energy during your search.

Coordinate with all the Bridesmaids

It is your responsibility to make sure all bridesmaids show up for their dress fittings and coordinate accessories, including jewelry and shoes. Also, make sure that every bridesmaid has everything ready on the big day. Be aware that you will typically be paying for your own dresses and shoes as will the rest of the bridal party! But don’t sweat the cost — you can always re-wear those heels or shorten the hem of your bridesmaid dress to turn it into a cute summer dress.

Delegate Responsibilities to the Bridesmaids

If you need help, you can always delegate some responsibilities to the other bridesmaids. For example, assign a bridesmaid to be in charge of the bride’s makeup touch-up bag. Or assign certain people to handle wedding day decor before guests arrive. 

Help With Invitations and other Planning

If asked, MOH helps the bride address wedding invitations, search for venues, find the perfect cake flavor, and more. They may also ask for your help sending out the Save-the-Date invites.

Point Person for the Registry

The maid of honor lets everyone know about the couple’s registry. Letting guests know about the registry ahead of time allows them to decide what they want to do regarding the gift to the special couple.

Plan the Bridal Shower

One big responsibility is planning the bridal shower. You want to make sure the bride’s close friends and family are invited, so be sure to double-check the guest list. You’ll help plan the venue, food, drinks, games, party favors and whatever else is needed at the event. It really depends on what the bride wants, so be sure to communicate and make sure it fits the style she is looking for. 

Also, sometimes a bride’s mother or grandmother may want to host the bridal shower and you can step back and let them handle the arrangements. You can always focus on the bachelorette party if the family is looking to host a more formal bridal shower.

Keep Records of All Gifts

Keep a record of all gifts received from all parties and showers or collaborate with your fellow bridesmaids for this task. Keeping track of all wedding gifts received makes it easier for the bride to send personalized thank you notes to the corresponding person.

Plan Bachelorette Party

It’s the maid of honor that starts the process of talking with all the bridesmaids and coordinating with them to plan the bachelorette party. The maid of honor is responsible for gathering all the cost information and making sure the whole bridal party is happy with the plans. 

Make Sure Wedding Party is at All Pre Wedding Events

Help make sure all bridesmaids show up to any dinners or other activities. For example, the bride may ask you all to be at the rehearsal dinner early to help set up.

During the Wedding Ceremony

Wedding Gown Train and Veil Duty

The maid of honor will arrange the bride’s veil and train once at the altar. It is your responsibility to adjust the veil and train for any and all photo opportunities. Be sure to ask other bridesmaids for help and work together so the bride is camera ready at all times!

Hold the Bridal Bouquet

It’s the maid of honor’s responsibility to hold the bride's bouquet during the ceremony as well as their own. Typically the bouquet is taken once the bride reaches the altar.

Be Responsible for the Grooms Ring

This is a very important task. Your responsibility is to hold the groom’s ring for the bride until it is time for them to exchange rings.

Marriage Certificate

You and the best man will serve as witnesses for the signing of the marriage license.

During the Wedding Reception

Help with Any Reception Questions

MOH along with all bridesmaids should answer any questions guests may have such as where to sit or where to sign the guestbook. On the big day, the last thing the bride wants to deal with is guests coming up and asking where they are sitting. 

Reception Makeup Touch Up

Help the bride touch up makeup and change into different dresses if needed. The wedding is an all-day event and every bride wants to look their best all day long. Make sure every zipper is zipped and any strings are tied before sending her out to the dance floor!

Give a Maid of Honor Speech

Be prepared to give a toast to the happy couple at the rehearsal dinner and/or reception. This is not a requirement, but it is a wonderful gesture that the bride will most definitely appreciate. 

Tip for the toast: Keep it short but meaningful. The focus of your toast should be on the happy couple. Try to avoid inside jokes and long drawn out stories about the adventures you and your friend had over the years. Also be prepared to get emotional and for the waterworks to start, so keep tissues close by!

Next Steps

Now you are ready to be the best Maid of Honor! You can begin by helping the bride find the perfect fairytale dress. Browse online to get ideas and inspiration or visit our store locator if you’re ready to start booking appointments!

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