It has been proven time and again that there is no one, in any given wedding ceremony, who is on their toes like the Maid of Honor. This is tied to the amount and kind of responsibilities that lie on her shoulder as she makes sure that everything about the wedding, especially those things revolving around the Chief Guest – the bride, flows seamlessly. It is worth noting that these responsibilities keep on changing with time and they are no longer what they used to be some years back, the more reason to keep yourself abreast with what is happening. For example, a few years back, the Maid of Honor would even supervise the making of DIY uplighting, if that is what the bride wants to use on her big day. That has, however, changed.
Here is a comprehensive checklist for any Maid of Honor who is looking forward to leaving a mark of a successfully handled wedding. The ultimate checklist can be divided into two main categories, before and during the wedding day.
Before the wedding
The person you settle for the Maid of Honor must be someone that you trust and know that she will not let you down at all. Below are some of the most important things that any smart Maid of Honor must be doing as the wedding day draws closer.
Always be there for the Chief Guest – the bride
Wedding planning experts agree that the Maid of Honor should be the listening ear of the bride at all times. Since the Maid of Honor is the best friend and a confidant of the bride, she should be in a position to initiate a conversation around any essential thing about the upcoming wedding. For instance, if the suppliers are giving higher quotations for the drapes for rent, the Maid of Honor should be in a position to advise and give alternatives to her friend – the bride. Ideally, a good Maid of Honor should not wait until she is prompted to do something, no. additionally, she should be open with the bride to a point of asking for help whenever needed. However, it is important to discuss some of these roles and responsibilities or at least what is expected of the Maid of Honor beforehand to avoid any disappointments.
Help the bride in reviewing the budget
In most cases, the Maid of Honor should be in the forefront in reviewing the budget for the bridal shower and having a chat with the bridesmaids to see whether they can afford to chip in something instead of leaving the whole burden to the bride of the couple in general. This effort is best led by the Maid of Honor instead of the bride herself because she may be having other pressing issues and her eyes might be fixed on the big day itself.
Assist the bride in shopping for her wedding gown
As mentioned earlier, the Maid of Honor should be the best friend of the bride and should be there to guide her or at least give an honest opinion on the kind of dress that best suits her. This is an important responsibility because shopping for a wedding dress is not easy given the variety of available options.
Be the point of contact for the bride
The Maid of Honor should ideally be that contact person who soaks in at least much of the information meant for the bride. According to many wedding planning experts, the Maid of Honor should stand-in for the bride and answer most of the questions from the bridesmaids, friends, and any other persons seeking information about the wedding. This will leave the bride with a good time to concentrate on other things that will make her day a big success to remember.
In addition, the Maid of Honor should be the one sending out any communication like emails or text messages when necessary. She should also be able to mediate any sort of conflict that might arise among the bridal party.
During the wedding
Help the bride in dressing
Helping the bride to dress up is normally not an easy task. The Maid of Honor should make sure that the bride looks amazing, her being the Chief Guest of the day. She should make sure that all that the bride will need is right in place from the undergarment to jewelry, shoes, and all accessories to avoid the last-minute rush.
Calm down the bride
Its widely agreed that the biggest responsibility of the Maid of Honor is making sure that the bride is as calm as possible. Additionally, the Maid of Honor should also help the bride enjoy every moment of her big day.
Keep track of the safety of received gifts
The Maid of Honor should be the head of the delegation receiving and keeping all received gifts on the wedding day. No gift should get lost for any reason as long as the Maid of Honor and her team of bridesmaids are there.
Make sure the bride eats
In most cases, the wedding day can be very busy to point of the bride not having her food. It is the role of the Maid of Honor to make sure that this does not happen. She should periodically the bride whether the bride needs anything.
There you have it! These are among the many responsibilities that lie on the shoulders of the Maid of Honor apart from making sure simple things like the DIY uplighting and drapes for rent are well fixed and bringing out the aesthetics of the wedding day.
