16 Most Important Maid of Honor Duties to Remember For The Big Day

So you’ve been chosen as the maid of honor – that’s wonderful! But you don’t just get to sit still and look pretty. But what are the maid of honor duties?

Having the title of maid of honor is a big deal, and there are maid of honor duties you need to fulfill. This is one of your dearest friends. It shows you’re their right-hand woman, the one that they truly love and want by their side on such an important and special day.

But, as with anything, that title comes with a lot of responsibility. So, before you kick back and put your feet up to rest and gloat, you need to prepare yourself for what you’re getting yourself into. Get that pen and pad out cause you’re going to need to take notes.

Every wedding is different. However, there are some core maid of honor duties you’re going to have to do no matter what wedding you’re at. If you want to be the most kick-ass maid of honor for your friend’s wedding, that’s precisely what this feature is for!

You need to prepare yourself for what it really means to be one.

[Read: 50 really nice and sweet things to say to your friend to brighten up their day]

What does it mean to be the maid of honor?

Being the maid of honor means that you’re the one chosen to make the wedding even more special. Whether it’s arranging decorations, supporting the bride, planning bachelorette parties, and basically everything related to the wedding on the bride’s end, you’re in charge.

It’s easier said than done, so it takes a lot of responsibility to be the maid of honor. It’s challenging work, but the bride chose you for a reason, and it’s because she trusts you enough to pull everything off.

Whether it’s giving her the perfect bachelorette party or predicting anything wrong that happens at the wedding, that’s what your job is all about. [Read: How to be a good friend – The 23 BFF codes all friends must follow]

The most important maid of honor duties you can’t ignore

Let’s take a look at the most important maid of honor duties you’ll be doing on your best friend’s big day.

1. Pre-wedding preparations

This may sound easy, but we’re not just talking about things you do right before the wedding. You’ll need to go with the bride for wedding dress shopping, for bridesmaids’ dresses, for fittings—the whole deal. She’s not going to be able to do it by herself.

There are so many wedding preparations that need to be done, and you’re in charge of helping her with it all. It’s your role to make the bride’s wedding easier, after all. And as a maid of honor, you need to be there to support her and help her make decisions when she’s getting stressed out or is unsure of what to do.

You’re her best friend, you know how this works. You need to have her back, in all aspects, even stressful wedding things! [Read: 25 inspiring quotes to share with your best friend]

2. Wedding planning support

Most men aren’t overly interested in planning the wedding and if her fiancé isn’t helping her pick the flowers or invitations, you’ll need to ask her if he’s the one she wants to marry. *things are changing now and men are equally involved in the wedding preparations these days!*

Then, if she says yes, go and help her with her wedding planning. This means picking out invitations, deciding on a color scheme, seating charts, choosing the venue—are you getting tired already?

The fun is just about to begin! Oh, don’t forget cake tasting, that’s not too bad. Like we said, being the maid of honor isn’t as simple and easy as you think it is! You get to help in every aspect to make the wedding even more memorable. [Read: Are they just wedding jitters or real signs to back out right now?]

3. Help her with her DIY projects

Some brides want to make their wedding more personalized or save money by doing DIY projects. Were you always the crafty one making scrapbooks? Yeah, she remembers, and she’ll need your talents to make 200 decorative vases.

We know, but once you finish making them, you’ll never have to do it again. She needs you to bring out your creative side, and help make her wedding even more spectacular.

This is one of the maid of honor duties you really need to deliver, especially if the bride specifically requests it from you. Just think about it this way – it represents the token of your friendship, and you get to make her happy simultaneously!

4. Bridal shower and bachelorette party

You’re in charge of the bridal shower and bachelorette party. Don’t ask us why, but it’s traditional that as the maid of honor, you’re basically in charge of making the celebration happen. Maybe she doesn’t want one, but if she does, you’ll have to coordinate the budget, travel, activities, and invitations.

That doesn’t sound like too much work, right?!

Don’t worry, as this is probably one of the most fun maid of honor duties you have to deliver through. A bachelorette party is still a party, and you get to have a good time with your best friends. [Read: Make the most of your girls’ night using our 13 fun ideas]

5. Rehearsals, rehearsals, rehearsals

You’ll need to be at every rehearsal –if you didn’t like going to your ballet rehearsal as a child, well, this may be a trip down memory lane. But, think of it like this, after the wedding, you’ll never have to go to another rehearsal until you’re asked to be maid of honor at another wedding.

Just think of it as a support for your best friend to get the best wedding she deserves. That’s what every best friend wants, right?

At the rehearsals, you’ll need to provide your contact information to the guests, just in case they have any questions about the wedding or what they’re supposed to do on the big day. [Read: How to elope and have your perfect fairy tale wedding]

6. Prepare an emergency kit

So, it’s the day of the wedding and the bridesmaid’s dog accidentally chewed on her dress. Not the end of the world, why? Because you brought your emergency kit.

This kit saves you from stressing out when the bride has tears streaming down her face. It’s one of the maid of honor duties to bring an emergency kit, just in case you need it. Trust us; it’s part of being a maid of honor.

Okay, we know, we’ll get to the point now, this is what you need in your emergency kit: clear nail polish, mini sewing kit, bobby pins, double-sided tape, lotion, tissues, a copy of her vows, mints, stain remover, floss, deodorant, face wipes, lipstick, oil blotters, bottle of water, tampons, and mascara.

Make sure you make a checklist and have all these items in a bag the day before the wedding or else you’ll be running around in the morning. It’ll be havoc.

7. Pick up the wedding supplies

If the cake isn’t being delivered to the venue, then you’ll need to go pick it up. That also includes the flowers and any last-minute missing decorations. Basically, you’ll be acting as the courier during the morning of the wedding.

And if there’s no cake at the wedding, you’ll have one unhappy bride!

So pick up the wedding supplies and even as it can be exhausting, it will all be worth it for your best friend’s wedding. After all, a happy bride makes for the perfect wedding, right? [Read: Marital traditions – Their not-so-sweet origins and our modern choices]

8. Keep the party going

This doesn’t mean you grab a bottle of vodka and let loose. When we say keep the party going, we mean keep the bridal party on check. It’s not that exciting, but you need to make sure everyone is getting their hair and makeup done on the day of the wedding, bridesmaids have their dresses, and everyone is staying on schedule.

Also, maybe check in with the groom’s party every once in a while, if you can.

You know guys, they’re relaxed… sometimes too relaxed. So you just need to make sure everything’s in position for the wedding.

9. Help the bride get ready

Of course, it’s expected that one of the maid of honor duties is to help her get ready. She won’t be able to get into that princess dress by herself. You’ll need to help her get her dress on, put on her accessories, and even help her pee.

The last one isn’t so fun, but you’re already best friends, we’re sure you’ve seen worse. Actually, we know you’ve seen worse! So help her get ready the best way you can to make her look flawless and perfect for the wedding. This is the most important day of her life, after all.

10. Keep it in check at the ceremony

Before the ceremony, you’ll need to hand out the bouquets, rings pillows, boutonnieres, and corsages to the entire wedding party. Also, this may be the most important task, make sure you have the groom’s ring. Everything has to be on point and nothing could go wrong, right before the wedding occurs.

Keep that ring on you until it’s requested for the ceremony. Make sure you have it in a safe place and if you don’t have a pocket, just wear it on your thumb. No matter what, you can’t lose the ring! [Read: Partner in crime – 31 signs you have this friend and the reasons why you need them]

11. Keep the bride alive

That sounded dramatic but it’s somewhat true!

You need to make sure that after the ceremony, she’s eating and drinking. Many brides forget to eat and stay hydrated during the wedding because they’re feeling anxious, excited, and stressed.

Every other maid of honor duty is important, but this one is key. You have to make sure she’s feeling happy and glowing on her wedding day; no questions asked!

You know how a bride is always complimented that she’s glowing like the sunshine? Exactly. That’s one of the maid of honor duties you should deliver. [Read: 25 obvious signs you’re high on wedding fever]

12. Be the point of contact

As a maid of honor, you need to be the point of contact with everyone. So when it comes to wedding planning, talking to guests, and basically dealing with all interactions, you’re in charge. This is to reduce the burden of the bride on her planning and actual wedding day.

Instead of guests and people talking to her with all kinds of questions and problems, this should be you. So you’re supposed to know how to handle every social interaction.

If a guest asks where the reception is or if there’s a problem with the wedding cake, you deal with all of that.

13. Review the budget

The bride has a specific budget, and one of the maid of honor duties is to make sure the wedding expenses don’t exceed the budget. We know you’re probably not expecting financial stress in being the maid of honor, but it’s all part of that.

If something goes wrong in any aspect, such as wedding cake or floral decorations, you must ensure that the replacement both fits the bride’s standards and goes within the budget.

You must give her the dream wedding she deserves while also still fitting it into her desired budget. Don’t worry, the financial stress will likely occur for just a portion of the entire wedding planning and preparation! [Read: Should you get married? 14 ways to know if it’s for you]

14. Picking the perfect wedding dress

Ah yes, every bride dreams of wearing the perfect dress. The one dress the bride will remember for the rest of her marriage. So it’s highly crucial to pick the perfect dress and help your best friend make the right choice.

She chose you to be the support she needs, and this includes choosing a wedding dress.

If anything, this is one of the most fun duties about being a maid of honor. You can even make a day out of it and hang out right after she chooses the perfect dress! But of course, the dress is the priority. Your role is to be honest with every dress she tries on and really help her pick the right one for her.

15. Speech preparation

Didn’t you know it’s also a maid of honor’s job to make the perfect speech for the reception? Even if it’s not part of the program, you should always be ready to make a speech. Get one ready, just in case it’s being asked from you.

It’s one of the maid of honor duties not to give a speech that will embarrass the bride, but one that will represent the perfect speech for the wedding. If you have known them as a couple for years, you can even make a speech that shows their true love for one another *making others cry with your speech*. [Read: How to make someone feel emotional and cry with the perfect letter]

16. Make the wedding as perfect as possible

Why else are you a maid of honor if you aren’t going to make the wedding as perfect as possible? You need to give your best friend the perfect wedding – one she’ll remember for the rest of eternity. If there are any unprecedented events or anything that goes wrong, you need to know how to deal with them. You can stay in touch with the wedding planner or coordinator if there’s one, and keep everything in sync.

Keep the wedding moving and make sure the program goes as flawless as possible. Take care of the bride, bridesmaid, guests, and everyone involved in the wedding. It’s one of the maid of honor duties to get everything right and keep the event flowing smoothly.

If the bride gets a panic attack or gets cold feet, it’s very important to calm her and remind her why she’s getting married. That’s what a maid of honor is primarily for!

[Read: Barn weddings and other strange trips down the aisle]

So, what are the the most important maid of honor duties?

Being a maid of honor isn’t just about sitting still and looking pretty. It can be exhausting being one, but the bride and your best friend trusted you to be one, so you should be able to push through with everything on this list.

After all, your best friend deserves the perfect wedding of her dreams. And if that’s the gift you can give her on her special day, she’ll forever be grateful for having someone as special and loving as you in her life!

After reading this, you should be able to know the maid of honor duties. It could look stressful, but just remember, this isn’t just anyone, she’s your best friend, and she deserves the world.