Next to an engagement proposal, maid of honor proposals are one of the most memorable moments leading up to a wedding. When you’re asked to be the maid of honor, you’re being asked to be the number one supporter and confidant of your bride. As a maid of honor, you’ll stand beside your best friend, sibling, or family member as the most distinguished member of the bridal party.
There’s no denying that being a maid of honor is, well, an incredible honor, but this title also comes with plenty of weight.
A maid of honor holds some of the most significant responsibilities in a wedding party and, in many ways, is an integral part of the wedding planning process. So, if the bliss of being crowned maid of honor is starting to fade and newfound wedding planning jitters have begun to settle in, we’ve got you covered.
We’ll discuss some of the biggest maid of honor dos and don’ts in this blog. Let’s get started!
Do: Communicate With Your Bride Often
One of the biggest struggles of being a maid of honor is becoming an expert on different wedding duties. If you’re new to the world of weddings, it can be overwhelming to try and read up on everything you need to know about wedding planning.
However, the truth is that there’s no need to become the ultimate wedding expert as a maid of honor. Instead, focus your energy on communicating with your bride and throwing her dream wedding.
As soon as you can, sit down with your bride and ask her some preliminary questions so that you can be more prepared. Ask questions such as:
- What does your perfect wedding look like?
- What matters the most to you throughout your engagement and wedding process?
- What are you most nervous about in regard to wedding planning?
- How can I best support you?
Proactively asking these questions and understanding your bride’s expectations is essential. Once you have a better idea of how intense or relaxed your bride envisions their wedding day, you can plan accordingly.
Don’t: Be a Bare Minimum Maid of Honor
After entrusting you with one of the most prestigious and vital roles in their wedding, the happy couple will be extremely disappointed to have a low-effort maid of honor. Sure, balancing the responsibilities of helping your bride plan different vendor appointments and events can be taxing. But these challenges come with the honor of being a great maid of honor.
Need help recognizing some common signs that you’re a low-effort maid of honor? Check these telltale signs you need up to your maid of honor game.
- You do not communicate regularly with the bride.
- You do not have a confirmed calendar of engagement-related events.
- You have not been in contact with any of the bridal party members.
- You have not handled any specific tasks or favors given to you by the bride.
Reviewing other maid of honor responsibilities will also help you avoid becoming neglectful. Don’t be a neglectful maid of honor when your bride needs you the most. Instead, be proactive, communicate, and make the wedding planning process effortless.
Do: Lead the Bride Tribe Pack
As the maid of honor, you’ll set the tone for the entire bridal party. Sometimes, blending different friends and family members into one group can be difficult, which is why you must establish a warm and inviting tone as the maid of honor.
The more comfortable of a group you influence your bridal party to be, the happier your bride will ultimately be as well.
Here are some tips to help you break the ice and establish a bridal party with happy morale.
- Plan a bridal party meet-and-greet
- Exchange social media information
- Plan a pre-bachelorette girls’ night out
- Make a bridal party group chat
The more you lead by example, the more relaxed and enjoyable your bride’s bachelorette party will be!
Don’t: Drop the Bachelorette Party Ball
Perhaps the biggest task of any maid of honor is planning the details of the bride’s bachelorette party. While brides typically pick the location and theme of their bachelorette party, the maid of honor is usually responsible for leading the rest of the planning. One of the biggest mistakes you could make as a bridesmaid is procrastinating the planning of your bride’s party.
Booking the details for a bachelorette party often means planning and making reservations months in advance. The sooner you collaborate with your bride on potential places to stay, activities to do, and locations to visit, the more stress-free making these reservations will be.
Not only is it vital that you stay on top of planning your bride’s bachelorette party to book reservations, but it’s also a courtesy to the rest of your wedding party. Since many bachelorette parties travel to destination locations, it’s crucial that you give bridesmaids enough time to plan for these getaway weekends.
Do: Use Resources
Even as a maid of honor, no one expects you to know everything about wedding planning and coordinating all the time. It’s perfectly normal to have questions about planning certain events or when to send out information to the bridal party. If you find yourself confused or not confident about your maid of honor abilities, consider seeking out different educational resources. Maid of honor lists or engagement timeline overviews are excellent educational tools. These checklists are comprehensive and give you an overall insight into what tasks you should focus on as a maid of honor.
Don’t let the fear of being a bad maid of honor keep you from utilizing resources. The more you educate yourself about the world of wedding planning, the more you can enjoy your loved one’s special day.
We hope our guide on the biggest maid of honor dos and don’ts has helped absolve some of your wedding planning jitters. Being a maid of honor is no simple task; however, it’s a highly rewarding title that you’ll be able to share with your bride for the rest of your lives. So don’t fret! Enjoy the process of being a maid of honor! With some organization and planning, you’ll be sure to help your loved one throw their dream wedding.
