What are the Maid of Honor's Duties?

The Maid of Honor is the person that the bride chooses to be at her right hand during the wedding and the planning process. Traditionally, the Maid of Honor is the bride’s sister or closest friend. Truthfully, you can choose whomever you’d like! If your mom, a male best friend, or a cousin is who you’re closest with, go with them! Your “Maid of Honor” can be anyone who means the world to you. Whether you’re asking your sister or your long-time best friend, the Maid of Honor role is extremely special.
Unless your MoH has been married before, she may not know exactly what the job entails. Being a Maid of Honor requires more than standing next to the bride on her wedding day, so we’re here to help lay out what they’re getting themselves into! Check out our list of the major traditional responsibilities that come with being a Maid of Honor below:

Bridal Shower

Traditionally, the bridal shower is either hosted by the Maid of Honor. Alternatively, this event can also be co-hosted by the MoH and the mother of the bride. Planning a bridal shower can be a large undertaking, so it’s not uncommon for brides to divvy up the responsibilities among the bridal party.

Decision-Making

The bride is going to be making a seemingly endless number of decisions throughout the wedding planning process. From picking wedding colors to narrowing down the guest list, the Maid of Honor should be ready to help with all of the little choices along the way! There will be few people whose opinion the bride values more than her MoH, so she should be sure to voice her preferences when asked!

Bachelorette Party

One of the main (and most fun!) tasks that the Maid of Honor takes care of is planning the bachelorette party. This involves figuring out a date that works for the group, as well as a location. She’ll also need to scout out some activities for the trip that she knows the bride will love.

Supporting the Bridal Party

From fittings to pre-wedding events, a ton goes into being a bridesmaid! Acting as the Maid of Honor includes answering logistical questions that the bridal party may have about their dresses, upcoming events, the wedding day, etc. Fielding bridal party questions is just another way to help relieve some of the wedding planning stress for the bride.

Holding Important Things

When the wedding day comes it’ll be the MoH’s job to literally lend the bride a helping hand when it comes to her things. This includes everything from holding her bouquet as she exchanges vows (don’t forget to pass it to her before she goes back down the aisle!) to carrying her train when she’s moving from point A to point B. Lending a helping hand throughout the day is definitely a big part of the job.

Giving a Speech

It’s tradition for both the Maid of Honor and the Best Man to give a speech during dinner at the reception. These speeches can be funny, sentimental, or a mixture of the two! The MoH should prepare a few minutes of kind words or a story about their friendship with the bride for the reception.

Problem Solving

Problem solving on the wedding day is a huge part of the MoH duties. Although the wedding coordinator should be able to handle most issues, the Maid of Honor plays a big part in making sure that everything is handled quickly and discreetly. It’s all about making sure that the bride is staying as stress-free as possible and enjoying their day.

Marriage License

Some couples may opt to assign this job to family members, but typically the Best Man and Maid of Honor both sign the marriage license as witnesses!

Celebrate!

The maid of honor’s most important job is to have fun celebrating with the bride! Try not to get so caught up in wedding day stresses that you end up missing out on all of the fun. At the end of the day, you’re all there to celebrate the marriage, so don’t forget to take a minute and soak it all in with your best friend.