Although an exciting job to be given, maid of honor can also be quite stressful. Your best friend has now put a bunch of responsibility in your hands and is expecting you to come through for her. Most maid of honors, especially first timers, need some pointers on where to begin and how to be the best they can be.
Soon after you are given the job of maid of honor, your planning will start. If you tend to procrastinate on things, be sure to start as soon as possible so you give yourself enough time to handle everything. If you start too late, you will become overwhelmed and things may not turn out as good as they would have with you taking your time! Check out these maid of honor tips that will help you throughout the planning process:
Set Up A Checklist
Before you start your planning, sit down and write a checklist of everything you need to take care of. This goes for the bridal party and bachelorette party, down to the toast you’re going to make at the wedding. As you complete each task, check it off so you don’t get confused as to what you did and did not do. Another appropriate way to stay organized is to set up a chart of all your duties which can also be a great way for you and the bridesmaids to stay on task.
Get to Know the Bridesmaids
If you don’t know the bridesmaids very well, or at all, one of your first steps should be to call them or email them to let them know who you are and that you will be in contact with them throughout the next few months. Make sure you have all their information and that they know what their jobs are, as well. Be sure to explain to them that their input is important also and could be beneficial to your job as maid of honor.
Planning the Pre-Wedding Festivities
Prior to the wedding, it will be your responsibility to plan the bridal shower and bachelorette party. A nice place for a bridal shower would be a cost-friendly space that isn’t too far away from everyone. For the shower decor, have the bridesmaids help out on creating some DIY things to help keep the cost down. DIY decor is also a nice way of showing the bride that you put your hard work into the planning and took the time out to make everything look welcoming! Instead of having the event catered, get the girls together again to have a cooking party or have each of them bring a tasty dish. You can have the look of an expensive and lavish event without even breaking the bank!
The Wedding Day
Your job is almost finished! The actual wedding day can get overwhelming for the bride to be, so your job is to be there for her throughout the day in case of any issues she experiences. Things don't always go as smoothly as planned, so it's a good idea to be prepared for any obstacles. Set up an emergency wedding day kit filled with a bunch of items that could come in handy. The items could include safety pins, scotch tape, extra panty hose or even some Tylenol for someone who isn't feeling too great. Also on the list of maid of honor duties is to coordinate the bridesmaids during the photos and before heading down the aisle.
Your Speech
The very last step to your long journey of being a maid of honor is your speech! This job can be as difficult or as simple as you make it. If you aren't quite sure how to start, be sincere and speak from your heart. Chances are if you overthink it too much, it won't come out the way you'd like it. Be yourself and keep it short and sweet! If it is too dragged out, guests can become restless. A great way to keep the audience's attention is to use humour, but try to steer away from telling any stories that may embarrass the couple. One last toasting tip - don't forget to rehearse your speech a couple times so you feel comfortable!
While assisting the bride with wedding details, remember to stay as organized as possible so nothing gets lost later on. The more organized you stay, the smoother the entire process will be, including the wedding day! But, the most important part is to have fun and enjoy the experience!