Let's all just be honest women for a second. Maids of Honor really deserve a prize for all of the stuff they have to put up with. Not only do they have a list of duties that is expected with this title, they also have to endure countless hours of the bride complaining and look through an endless number of photos on her 'Dream Wedding' Pinterest board. These are things that most people, other than the bride, simply do not give a crap about. There, I said it. Unless you are a saint or Kate Middleton, you probably only care about the details of your best friend’s wedding for about 2 weeks. Then you are over it. That is not saying that you do not want it to be absolutely perfect for her, it just does not consume your life like it does the bride's. I can say this, because after being a self-absorbed bride, I have realized my faults. Sorry for bogging email down with countless links to wedding veils Allie! All brides do it and it kind of comes with the territory. This is the day you have dreamed about and you are so excited and want other people to be excited with you. Totally fine. I just want to quickly say on behalf of past, current and future brides, Maids of Honor, thank you. You are all selfless angels and deserve a special place in Heaven.
But unfortunately, me saying 'thank you' does not exempt you from your duties. We all want our brides to have the day they have always dreamed of. Being a Maid of Honor means more than being a bridesmaid. It means that the bride has chosen you because she appreciates your opinion, thinks you are accountable and considers you her best friend. All who have had this title should think of it as an honor. Not everyone in the world can say they have a 'best', so before all of the craziness begins and makes your best friend lose her mind for 5 months, list off all of the reasons she is your best.
OK, hopefully that took longer than 20 seconds to list off, otherwise, maybe you should back out of this title. If it took you a significant amount of time to list all of the great reason y'all are friends, let's get down to business. We have a wedding to plan!
How to be a Firecracker MOH- Tips on how not to be a basic MOH
Attend bridal shows with the bride. This is usually a lot of fun and plus there are usually cake samples! Want to really go over the top? Order some cute Bride and MOH stickers for y’all to wear. Super cheap and she will love it!
Get excited and go dress shopping for both the Bride and Bridesmaids' dresses. It is pretty obvious that the bride values your opinion and you need to be there to help her out. Especially with situations where the mother doesn't like her dream dress or she is deciding on some low back to the crack dress that is not allowed at her Catholic Church ceremony.
Learn how to bustle the Bride's train.
Talk to the bridesmaids and find out their opinion on shoes and dresses and relay it back to the bride. If she chooses something they do not like, make sure to get them in line and remind them that it is not their wedding. Nicely, of course.
Help with wedding planning. Maybe she needs help with a cake design or a color scheme. Tell her to send you her top three and create a pro/con list for her.
Help delegate tasks. Ask the bride to give you some things that she needs help with and you can divvy the tasks up among the bridesmaids. This will help the bride, take pressure off of you, and let the other girls feel included.
Make the rehearsal bouquet, which also means you need to collect and save the ribbons and bow from her showers. If you are not at all of the showers, make sure to designate someone to save them for you. Click the link for instructions. (I am not that creative) http://somethingturquoise.com/2012/03/02/diy-bridal-shower-ribbon-bouquet/
Host and plan a Bridal Shower and the Bachelorette party. Make sure to get the other girls involved, but they are going to be waiting on you to get the ball rolling. Also, it is your job to find fun games. Not the cheesy ones.
If everyone is being wall flowers at the reception and not dancing, get out there and get the party started. After all, she has probably told you 10 times how much money she spent on the band.
Keep the bridesmaids informed on the happenings. Make sure they know when they are expected to be places and what they need to do to help.
Wow, making this list made me look like the worst Maid of Honor ever! What an exciting time in you and your best friend’s life! This celebration is not just for the bride and groom, it is also for the people close to them. And helping plan your best friend's special day is probably one of the most cherished memories you will have. It can get stressful but do not let it overwhelm you. Just be there for her when she needs you and make sure that the embarrassing photos of her having a dance off with a little person on her bachorlette party never surfaces and you will be golden. And if you need a list of websites where you can sell that awful murple purple BM dress on, just give me a call. Until next time...
Stay cool, fools,
-C