It is truly and honor to be asked to be a Maid/Matron of Honor and once a bride pops the big question, your duties begin! While there are no set rules as to what you have to do or what you are in charge of, you are the bride's right hand woman, and should want to make her feel special for this amazing time in her life.
So why not do everything in your power to make her feel like the princess she truly is :)
The Engagement Party
While there may be many family members and friends who cannot wait to throw and engagement party, you're in charge of making sure it all happens! As the engagement excitement slowly fades, there is going to be a lot of talking, and less doing when it comes to planning the party. Now I am not saying that you have to pay for it or even host it at your house, but you are in charge of making sure it happens.
Talk to family members and friends who may be willing to host the event. Or hold a pot-luck so everyone can take part in making the event special. And this doesn't have to be anything extravagant, just a celebration of an amazing couple and the journey they are now beginning.
The Bridal Shower
Just like the engagement party, you are not required to pay for this event or host it at your home. You are there to make sure it happens. No bride should be planning a party for herself, right? Put yourself in her shoes and you will begin to realize that these events that take place before the wedding are meant to be fun and to celebrate the amazing bride and groom. Whether you are hosting a bridal tea or a garden party in her mother's backyard, you are there to make sure the event is as special as possible for your favorite bride-to-be!
The Bachelorette Party
Now this is an event that, most of the time, parents do not attend. So it is up to you to bring the bridesmaids together and decide what type of event the bride would want for her bachelorette party. Whether or not she is involved (mine was a surprise!), you need to organize or assign a bridesmaid to organize the event. The rest of the bridesmaids are there to help out too, so lean on them for advice so you don't become too overwhelmed.
The Wedding Day
While you don't really have any "duties" when it comes to the wedding day (besides holding the bride's bouquet for her as she says her vows), you are there to ensure her day is more special that she ever could have imagined. And I could not have asked for a more amazing maid of honor, my big sister Nicole, because she truly went above an beyond to make my day as special as possible.
When I arrived to the bridal suite the morning of the wedding, there was champagne, bagels, and snacks ready to go and set up beautifully. As we began getting ready, Nicole gave me a gift that I will cherish forever. It was a box filled with notes from family and friends that had been a special part of my life - from my childhood babysitter, to my first cheerleading coach, sisters, my dad, grandparents, and finally, my soon-to-be husband. This was a gift that I frequently open just to read the letters again and re-live that amazing day. And a quick tip: If you decide to do this, make sure she reads the letters BEFORE her makeup is done. And having a photographer there is an added bonus :)
As a maid of honor, you are there to make sure the bride's experience up to and on the wedding day is more special than she could ever imagine. Be her right-hand-woman throughout the process and offer to help wherever you can. While you don't have to organize everything or do everything, be there to ensure the events are planned, the DIY's are put together without the bride getting stressed out, and do everything you would want your own Maid of Honor to do for you on your own wedding day. Be the best you can be and the bride will truly cherish all the work you have done to make her feel special.
