If you have been named the maid or matron of honor, congratulations!  The bride as chosen you because she loves and trusts you with helping her plan her entire wedding.  Feel like a lot of pressure?  It is.  The title “maid of honor” carries with it numerous responsibilities and tasks that a bride may ask you to do, or just expect you to do.  So just what is a maid of honor to do?

Before the Wedding Day

Think of yourself as the first line of support for your bride.  As soon as you are named the maid of honor, you know that you will have a whole lot of tasks and responsibilities delegated to you so that the bride’s wedding can go off without a hitch.  Some of the many tasks that a maid of honor will have to undertake include:

• Helping with the addressing of wedding invitations
• Hosting a wedding shower.  Wedding showers aren’t nearly as popular as they used to be, so your bride may not want this.  You can ask the bride first or try to pick up on clues and hints if you want to make your wedding shower a surprise.
• Hosting the stagette or bachelorette party.  Yes, it’s all on you to plan this fun filled day or night prior to your bride’s big day!
• Attend all pre-wedding parties.  This means the wedding shower as well as any other parties that the bride may have which includes other friends and family members, such as rehearsal dinners.
• While at these parties and rehearsals it’s important that you keep record of all of the gifts that have been given and who gave them to the bride. The bride will greatly appreciate this list when she has to write up her “thank you” cards.
• Choose out all outfits that the bridal party will be wearing.  The bride will need a second opinion when she’s choosing bridesmaids dresses, and the bridesmaids may need someone to help them choose the dresses too.  This is where you, as the maid of honor, step in and offer your expert opinion!  You will also be able to help out with accessories and finding a seamstress who will be able to adjust the dresses so each of the bridesmaids, and yourself, look absolutely stunning.
• Ensure that the bride has made adequate transportation plans

On the Day of the Wedding

The wedding day is just as busy for the maid of honor as it is for the bride!  Some of the things that you are expected to do on the day of the wedding include:

-          Arriving early to the bride’s house before anyone else.  You will be the one who is going to help the most with her gown and also make sure that she has packed everything she needs to for the honeymoon.  If your bride has a make up artist there, a hair dresser, and a photographer, you will be the one to help them out too so that the bride looks her best on her special day.

• You can take the brides flowers to the wedding site for her, and also make sure that each of the bridesmaids has a bouquet
• During the ring exchange part of the ceremony, you are to hold the bride’s bouquet
• At the reception, you are right to the left of the groom in the receiving line to greet all of the guests in attendance.