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All right, girlfriend. You've been chosen as the Leader of the Pack. Now
what? If you're unsure about your "duties" and responsibilities as Maid of
Honor, we've outlined them for you right here.
Since you need to know what's expected of your honorary position, here's the
nitty gritty about the traditional Maid of Honor's responsibilities. For your
convenience, we have broken your duties down into two categories: Official
Responsibilities, and Emotional Responsibilities. Rumor has it you're going to
be doing a little of both.
Official Responsibilities
Go shopping
Aid the bride in shopping for her gown as well
as the bridesmaids' gowns.
Lend a hand
Help her out with the tasks that are too big for
her to accomplish on her own like addressing invitations, or putting together
favors. If she asks you, accompany her on shopping trips and provide an
objective opinion on flowers, the cake, etc.
Party down
Plan and throw the
bachelorette party, with the
help of the bridesmaids.
Throw the bridal shower
Plan and host the bridal shower.
Take notes
Record all the gifts received at the various
wedding parties, so the bride can keep track of who gave her what.
Round up the bridesmaids
Make sure they get to the ceremony
on time, they have their clothes on, and their hair done.
Hang on to the groom's ring
Keep the groom's wedding ring
(somewhere safe) during the ceremony, like on your thumb.
Prep the bride before she takes that Walk
Adjust her hair,
straighten her veil, and rearrange her train if needed, and do it again after
she arrives at the altar.
Keep the bouquet
Hold the bridal bouquet while the couples
exchange vows.
Sign the license
Both the best man and the maid of honor
sign the marriage license as witnesses.
Dance
Dance with the best man during the first official
dance, and dance with the other groomsmen during the following songs, if so
desired.
Toast
At the reception, toast the couple, traditionally
following the best man.
Okay, that's everything that's officially required of the Maid of Honor.
Here's the things that the etiquette books don't tell you...
Emotional Responsibilities
Calm her down
No joke, you are more than likely going to be
performing some De-Stress Management as the bride approaches the Big Day. Talk
her out of kicking her mother in the shins; advise her that cursing the caterer
won't do anybody any good. The bride needs you as a friend, too; be there for
her now more than ever.
Tell her jokes
Everybody knows that, for the chronically
stressed, laughter is definitely the best medicine. Make it part of your job to
keep her having fun with it all, and require the bride to relax and have a
laugh.
Keep her fed
On her wedding day, the bride may be so
adrenaline-charged, she will forget to eat. Take care of her by getting her some
breakfast before the day starts, and be in charge of making sure she gets some
dinner at the reception.
Listen
As redundant as it may get for you, be a sounding
board for the bride to bounce ideas off of. She needs advice about whether or
not registering for those matching mountain bikes is a good idea. And besides
that, her marriage is a big step. She may need to talk about that, too. And,
dear Maid of Honor, that someone she's going to want to talk to is you.
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