Maid of Honor Duties: The Ultimate Guide

Maid of honor is a special title. Traditionally, a sister or closest friend is chosen to be the MOH and is the bride-to-be’s right hand woman and go-to-gal for all things wedding. The MOH is by the bride’s side throughout the planning process along with the big day and even post wedding. The MPH job is an incredibly fun and honorable role! Wondering what the job description entails? We’re sharing all of the maid of honor duties you should know.

Before the Wedding

Be there for the bride.

The most important duty as maid of honor is being a helping hand, a shoulder to lean on, or comedic relief to the bride throughout this exciting (and sometimes stressful) journey. Communication between the two of you will be key, so after you accept your role as MOH, discuss how much and what kind of support you can offer the bride-to-be.

Gather inspiration.

The MOH will assist the bride-to-be in many areas of the wedding but one area which can be rather fun is to help craft some inspiration boards to help the bride start planning her dream day. The MOH can also assist the bride in gathering inspiration for her bridal shower and bachelorette party that way the MOH nails the look and feel the bride wants as she plans those events.

Offer to host an engagement party.

An engagement party is a fun way to celebrate the big news and for family and friends to meet and greet each other. While the MOH does not have to host the engagement party but it certainly can be a fun gathering for the MOH and the Best Man to collaborate on.

Go wedding dress shopping.

Choosing the dress is an exciting wedding planning milestone! Accompany her to the appointment and give her honest feedback about the different styles she is trying on based on what you know she is looking for or feels comfortable in. Take pictures to celebrate the fun day and checking off a major wedding to-do!

Find the bridesmaid looks.

Time to decide on the <a href="https://www.davidsbridal.com/maid-of-honor-dresses"maid of honor and bridesmaid dresses! The bride should decide her vision for her party – whether she wants everyone to match, everyone to mismatch, or just have the maid of honor in her own special look. Book a bridal party appointment and get the girls together to find the perfect dresses and colors for everyone. For maids who may live out of town, you can shop virtually or give her a specific style/color she can purchase at her local David’s Bridal.

Communicate with the rest of the party.

The bride-to-be has a lot of decisions and planning on her hands, so the maid of honor should be the main point of contact for the rest of the bridesmaids. Whether it is confirming dresses were ordered, sharing wedding weekend plans, delegating their bridesmaid duties, or even mediating conflict, the MOH should keep the squad informed and intact.

Plan the bachelorette party and bridal shower.

Let the celebration begin! The maid of honor should lead the planning of the bach party and bridal shower. Coordinate details like timing, location options, who/how to pay, and event itinerary. And don’t hesitate to lean on and delegate tasks to the rest of the bridal party! During these events, MOH should keep track of gifts the bride receives so appropriate thank yous can be sent out later.

Assist with decor.

As the big day approaches, maid of honor duties include helping with any DIY decor (make a fun day out of it with the bride!), gathering any special decorations, and making sure everything arrives at the venue the day-of or day before the wedding.

Prepare a wedding day survival kit.

Yes, it is true the MOH should have on hand a few key essentials for any sort of little issue that could come up. The wedding day survival kit should include everything from tissues to safety pins to hair ties and medical supplies. A few other key items to have on include important phone numbers such as the wedding coordinator and other important vendors, a timeline for the day and phone chargers.

Day-of the Wedding

Getting ready.

Wedding day hair, makeup, and getting dressed typically starts first thing in the morning – be the bride’s alarm clock to ensure she is ready when she needs to be! Plus, the maid of honor should lend a helping hand to the bride, from making sure her dress, accessories, jewelry, and undergarments are laid out in advance to fixing any smudges from post-makeup mimosas. Keep an eye out all night long too, she will appreciate being told about a twisted necklace or stray flyaways on her most photographed day!

Deliver the wedding day gift.

Many couples will purchase a gift to give to one another on the wedding day. If the couple has chosen not to see each other on the wedding day until the ceremony it might be the MOH’s job to deliver the gift to the bride’s partner.

The go-to person.

The wedding day is usually a busy one with lots of moving pieces and many times a ton of questions. It is the job of the MOH to make sure the bride does not get overwhelmed or inundated with questions. It is best if the MOH can be the point person for any questions or concern on the big day so the bride stays happy and calm.

Getting ready Champagne toast.

Many bridal parties will get together with the bride-to-be on the morning of the wedding day and get both their hair and make-up done and sometimes even their nails. If the bride would like to have a getting ready celebration with a little Champagne it would be the MOH’s job to make sure the bridal suite is stocked and perhaps kick off the day with a toast!

Keep the wedding party fed.

It can often be a long day of getting ready with hair and makeup and the last thing anyone wants is to have a bridal party that is hungry. The MOH should coordinate with the bride about what sort of snacks or food she can have ordered in so everyone is well nourished as they get ready.

Keep the bride hydrated.

Full of excitement and big-day jitters, the bride truly might forget to drink water or eat some breakfast. Remind her to hydrate throughout the day to keep her energy up (and hopefully avoid a hangover at brunch the next day). Don’t forget to keep yourself hydrated, too!

Hold the Bouquet & Partner’s Ring.

During the ceremony, the maid of honor should offer to hold the bride’s bouquet after she gets to the altar. After the ceremony, hand them back before the couple retreats back down the aisle. Also, the MOH may be responsible for holding the partner’s ring – guard that with your life!

Be The witnesses for the signing of marriage license.

Not all states require a witness for the marriage license but many do. It is very common for the MOH and the Best Man to be the witnesses for when the couple signs the marriage license.

Round up family and friends for photos.

Once the happy couple has all of their portraits done it is time to get the family and friends photos taken. Often times this will take place during the cocktail part of the evening so it is the MOH’s job to work with the photographer and round up the important people for the pictures. If the bride had provided the photographer with a shot list for the day the MOH can ask for a copy which will allow her to stay one step ahead of who is needed for pictures.

Give a toast.

As one of the most special woman in the bride’s life, it is customary for you to give a toast at the reception. Be sure to prepare ahead of time, making notes months in advance of special memories, funny moments, and how you knew the couple were perfect for each other. Closer to the big day, practice delivering your speech out loud a few times to finalize exactly what you want to say.

Help as the reception comes to end.

As the reception starts to come to an end the MOH should be available to help the bride and bridal party to make sure they have all of their personal items, that no wedding gifts have been left behind, and to tie up any loose ends like making sure all vendors have been paid.

Have fun!

This is a special day for you too, so don’t forget to have fun with your best friend or sister on her wedding day! So dance the night away in celebration of an amazing day and a job well done!

Post Wedding

Collect gifts.

If the couple has left for their honeymoon right after the wedding day the MOH might be responsible for picking up all wedding gifts from the venue and/or checking for gifts that are delivered to the couple’s home.

Farewell brunch.

While it is the not job of the MOH to host the day-after or farewell brunch it is certainly a nice thing for the MOH to help coordinate and jump in and help the morning of the brunch. The MOH might be available to pickup food and drinks for the brunch or just help with setup.

House or dog sit while the couple honeymoons.

A great MOH might offer to house sit or animal sit for the couple as they are off enjoying some much-needed R & R on their honeymoon.

Thank you notes.

It’s lovely for the couple to receive a significant amount of gifts but that also means a significant amount of thank you notes will need to be written. A MOH might assist the bride in either addressing, adding postage and/or mailing the thank you notes.

Being prepared to tackle these maid of honor duties will set you, the bride, and everyone up for wedding day success! See our guide for more bridesmaid inspiration, plus start shopping for your look online or at your local David’s Bridal.

Featured image by @photographybyjanae