Maid of Honor 101
aka… whatever the bride says, goes!
The day has finally arrived… for your bestie at least! Your best friend has now secured a rock on her finger, and you suddenly have an entirely new job title – Maid of Honor! With this comes with more responsibility than most, maybe even more than the groom himself if we’re being honest! You’ve probably watched, or at least heard of the movie 27 dresses… Well I am just about there ladies! Hi! My name is Sidney, a self-proclaimed professional bridesmaid (with the bouquets hanging in shadow boxes in my living room to prove it)! I have seen and done just about everything. From helping plan the proposals, down to climbing on hanging scaffolds at the ceremony to hang tulle! I’m here to give you the inside scoop on all things MOH (minus the scaffolds & tulle) to make your life and the bride’s life a whole lot easier!!
Knowing your Bride is the most important person in this moment, is a token of knowledge every Maid of Honor must have! Sit down with your bestie and get some ideas of what role(s) she wants you to play. Some girls want you to take over everything; planning, prepping, communication, etc. While others just want help delegating. This communication lays the foundation of expectations from her and for the rest of her wedding season! One thing I’ve learned, communication is key to a smooth wedding season clear of bridezillas!
Some important things you may want to clarify during this time:
Bachelorette ideas:
o Where does she want to go/have the bachelorette party?
o Who does she want there? (bridesmaids only/bridesmaids and friends/family members?)
o What kind of party are we thinking? (wild child vibes or beaching it on a relaxed island)
o How much is she wanting everyone to spend on this specific occasion?
Bridal showers:
o Does she want any bridal showers?
o Will they be friends and family combined or a friend’s shower and a separate family shower?
All things bridesmaids:
o Group chat (with/without her?)
o Get everyone’s numbers that you need to be in contact with (this includes the best man because he will most likely forget some very important details throughout the planning process, it’s nice to just check in)
Now that we’ve covered the beginning conversations, let's break it down into occasion!!
Bachelorette Party:
The most important thing to remember: It’s the Bride’s time to shine! This means making her feel special without breaking everyone else in the process!
For the Bride:
o Go where she wants to go
o Eating the type of food she wants to eat
o Including activities that she will enjoy
o What theme is she thinking/special décor options *bach babes, hellooo*
o Special outfit nights?
For the bridesmaids:
o Create a PowerPoint that details the following (approved by the bride of course!)
o T-shirts/koozies/specialized gift bags?
o How much will they be spending? (this is really nice to give everyone an idea and gives you a place to speak up on behalf of the group)
o What do they need to bring clothing wise?
o Are there any restrictions you or the bride should know about?
o Think of one special/sentimental thing you can bring on the trip. A video of the MOH asking the Groom questions about the bride to make a game, a powerpoint of everyone’s favorite crazy memories with the bride, everyone write a funny memory on a sticky note and stick them all over the house before the bride arrives. While this weekend is supposed to be all about fun, make sure to bring in a something special about the wedding!
Leading up to the wedding:
There are so many things that go into making this one day special for your favorite people, SO many things! Let’s get some out of the way ASAP!
For the Bride:
o Does she want you to give a speech at the wedding?
o How can you help delegate tasks to make her life (and yours) easier leading up to this day?
o Does she want you at any dress/tux appointments (hers/groomsmen/bridesmaids)?
For the bridesmaids:
o Make sure everyone is getting their dresses in/altered on time (just random check-in texts should do the trick)
o Make sure the bridesmaids have ideas of what jewelry/shoes/accessories the bride wants them to have day of
o Bring the positivity to the group, no bride bashing here please!
o Start collecting letters/photos/videos something special to give the bride the day of the wedding that comes from all her favorite people!
Wedding Day:
You know how this is supposed to go, you are her right-hand girl. This ends up being the most fun but also a little stressful, I won’t lie! Breathe in and let’s go through it together!
Things to know going in:
o Who will cause her the most stress and how can you alleviate that?
o The schedule – know it like your life depends on it and try to help everyone stick to it as much as possible.
o Who can you count on to handle things that you may not be able to in the moment?
Things to bring:
o Extras of everything
Hair ties, bobby pins, hair spray, deodorant, q-tips, tissues (lots of those), band aids, safety pins, super glue (weird, I know but better safe than sorry), mouthwash/spray/mints
o Snacks
Grab a box of peanut butter crackers (if no one is allergic), a mixed bag of single serving chip bags, some granola bars, a case of water bottles and a box of assorted single packet drink mixes. I promise you will be the savior no one knew they needed!
The most important thing to remember on this day is that your bestie trusted you with this role for a reason, you are capable, and they believe in you one hundred percent! This doesn’t mean you have to do it all on your own, it is okay to delegate tasks to other bridesmaid’s while you focus on your main goal, getting that girl down the aisle! Oh, and being there to hold her dress while she goes to the bathroom. Other than that, have a blast, fix her train when she gets to the altar and hold those flowers while she marries the love of her life and shed a few tears because you did it, Maid of Honor and you handled it like a pro! You go girl!
Xoxo - Sidney
We also asked our Instagram and Facebook followers what some of their biggest MOH tips were, see some of our favs below!
Buying everyone breakfast and coffee the morning of! A nice gesture!
Do whatever you can to make sure the bride has a stress free wedding weekend!
Hiring Bach Babes ;)
Put together a weekend emergency kit with safety pins, tide pens, etc!
Set the tone and ENERGY of the weekend with/for your bride with happiness!
Don’t tell the bride if anything goes wrong! Or any drama!
Talk with your bride at the beginning about what her expectations are for you!
Be transparent with the other bridesmaids!
Delegate tasks to other bridesmaids! They are your helpers- use them!
Take charge but run everything by the bride first! Make sure the bride doesn’t pay for her bachelorette weekend.
Be upfront about budget expectations with the bridesmaids so they can plan!
Make sure to take pics! All the candid snaps, videos, pics and put them in a shared album!
Gather letters from. the bridal party and family and give them to the bride the week of the wedding!
Be upfront with ALL prices before booking things on your bachelorette weekend.
If you’re staying in a hotel bring an extension chord for getting ready, hair curling, charging, etc…
As MOH, you’re the mediator! Be willing to speak up for your bride, but also fellow bridesmaids.
Put yourself in the groomsmen group chat, the best man will be helpless, lol!
Plan what the bride wants! Don’t get too many opinions involved, it can become overwhelming!