The MOH Diaries: You’re the Maid of Honor…Now What?

After all the tears of joy and excitement of earning the coveted spot of “chief bridesmaid” have worn off, what do you do now? You’re not the one getting married, but you’ve been put in charge of party planning, dress shopping, and possibly keeping the bride from having a nervous breakdown when the baker she picked tells her they’re going on a hiatus with no clear date when they’ll be up and running. It’s important to remember that the bride has a gazillion things on her plate and you’re there to help her through this crazy time, here’s what you need to do to keep the bride happy and the bridesmaids off your back.

Set a timeline:

You have to schedule dress fittings, plan the bachelorette party and bridal shower, all while keeping a group of woman on one accord, which may not be an easy task. Make things easy for yourself, sit down and list the events in order or importance and see what can be done immediately. Timing is everything, if you plan too early things may end up changing, but if you wait until the last-minute you’ll have to rush and some things will fall through the cracks.

*Bridesmaid dresses may take between three or four months to arrive, book fittings early to give everyone time to save up. Also, if the brand is not exclusive to the shop search the style number online it may be cheaper*

Be a leader:

As the MOH you’ll be in charge of coordinating a group of women with varying personalities and ideas on what should be done; be open to hearing ideas, but be firm if you feel like they’re not respecting your role. When all is said and done you’re the one who will be the poster girl for any success or failures of the bridal party, trust your gut and do what you think is right. Keep in mind the best leaders are able to give direction, but aren’t afraid to hear the opinions of those around them.

Give the bride your (mostly) undivided attention:

Now that you’re the right hand to the bride she’ll come to you with all of her ideas if she wasn’t already. Whether she calls you crying because she can’t find the perfect centerpieces or overjoyed they finally sent their menu to the venue, don’t dismiss her. You may think she’s overreacting, but this is one of the most important days of her life she’s bound to be worried, be there for her as a friend and shoulder to lean on and it will only bring you closer.  But don’t be afraid to speak up if she’s taking you away from something important like work, you’re not being insensitive if you can’t stay on the phone for hours discussing the importance of the registry.

Do you have a tip you want to share about being a Maid of Honor? Comment below or reach out to us on social media!