Today, being a maid of honor is not much different from being a bridesmaid. You’d just wear a slightly different dress and march down the aisle without a partner.
But modern-day maids of honor still have duties for the bride and the wedding itself. Not all maids of honor fulfill them anymore, though. Brides mostly rely on their wedding planners nowadays. The maid of honor will just show up on the big day all dolled up, while the bride is stressed and anxious.
If your bride-to-be best friend wants you to be her maid of honor with duties to fulfill, note that your tasks will not be easy. You’ll help out the bride in all stages of the wedding planning and do some planning on your own, too. Hence, these are the things you should consider before agreeing:
1. You Should Be Dependable and Responsible
In ancient times, a maid of honor literally sacrificed her life for the bride. They consisted of a group of females then, and they dressed up like the bride and traveled with her. This tradition was believed to confuse evil spirits and mortal aggressors who might harm the bride. In case they struck, any one of the maids of honor would be the one in danger while the bride remains safe.
Of course, maids of honor today no longer serve as human sacrifices. And if someone wants to thwart the wedding, they’re not evil spirits or mortal aggressors who would commit a crime. Still, a maid of honor should be dependable and be there “to the bride’s rescue” if trouble occurs. For example, if some members of the bridal entourage have qualms about the wedding, the maid of honor should mediate the conflict and restore peace.
2. You Should Be Friendly and Approachable
The maid of honor plans the bachelorette party to communicate with the bride’s friends and relatives. If you’re the shy type who dislikes strangers, this role may not fit you well. The maid of honor should be able to make a group of strangers feel at ease with each other. That way, when the bachelorette party begins, everyone can have fun and show camaraderie.
3. You Should Have Time for the Wedding Planning
Even if the bride has a wedding planner, your assistance is still crucial in the planning process. You’re there to stand as the bride’s pillar of strength when things get stressful. And of course, you can make the planning fun. The bride will appreciate your opinion when choosing a dress, theme, motif, and even the menu. You can also explore beautiful wedding places together. The maid of honor surely knows the bride’s tastes, so you can be dependable in the finalization of the venue as well.
4. You Should Have a Good Sense of Style
Since the maid of honor helps the bride choose a dress, she must have a good sense of style. While it’s the bride’s choice that will ultimately matter, the maid of honor’s opinion is essential. This especially applies to brides who aren’t used to wearing formal dresses.
If your best friend trusts your fashion sense, be sure not to disappoint her. Remember that you’re choosing a dress based on her tastes, not yours. If you have different styles, you should be flexible and considerate while going through the bride’s various options.
5. You Should Work Well Under Pressure
Wedding planning is far from blissful. It involves a series of negotiations, budget issues, and results that don’t match expectations. The bride will carry the burden of wedding planning woes, so you should be there for them. When she meets an obstacle during the planning process, she’d need someone level-headed to deal with it. That’s you.
Also, mishaps can happen on the wedding day. The bride may suffer a migraine, her shoes may give her blisters, or the hairstylist didn’t bring enough bobby pins. You should be prepared for those high-pressure scenarios. A wedding survival kit — band-aids, medicines, bobby pins, and safety pins — should be among your stuff during the big day.
6. You Should Get Involved With the Styling Process
A maid of honor plays an active role in the event styling process and when the bride is being styled. As such, you should have an eye for beauty and some craft skills. When it’s time to dress the bride, you should be involved too, helping the stylists get the bride in and out of her clothes. Nowadays, the maid of honor and bridesmaids don’t do this anymore, but the bride will deeply appreciate it if the maid of honor, at least, still honors this tradition.
It turns out being a maid of honor is no walk in the park. But the role is rewarding since it means that the bride trusts you dearly.
