Archive for the ‘Maid of Honor tips’ Category
The Role of the Maid of Honor is a 4 part series that explores the modern role of today’s Maid Of Honor. We will explore the Maid of Honor role, responsibilities and give some handy suggestions on how you can be the best Maid of Honor ever! Enjoy!
In this article The role of the Maid of Honor – Part 4 we will explore the Wedding Photos, the Bridal Waltz or Wedding Dance and the necessary topic, when nature calls, what to do when the Bride needs assistance in the ladies room.
Wedding Photos.
There will be Wedding Photos before the Ceremony, during the Ceremony, after the Ceremony and during the reception. The Wedding Photos are the cherished memories that the Bride and Groom and their families will have for a lifetime and will most likely be handed down to the following generations. It is vitally important that the Bride looks her best for the Wedding Photos. Part of your role as the Maid of Honor is to ensure that the Bride looks great throughout the whole day. Have some basic makeup in your bag, like lipstick or gloss, foundation or powder to touch up any shiny facial areas and some of the Brides perfume in case she perspires when nervous. You will be greatly appreciated for thinking to have this organized so the Bride does not have to worry.
The Bridal Waltz or Wedding Dance.
There will come a time during the reception, usually after the meal or catered food has been concluded, when the Bride and Groom will have their first dance together. They will be invited to the Dance floor by the Master of Ceremonies to share their first dance and man and wife. After a minute or two has passed the Maid of Honor and the Best Man will be invited to join that Bride and Groom on the dance floor. Before you get on the dance floor make sure that the Wedding photographer has the opportunity to take a few shots of the Bride and Groom. Then the other Wedding attendants will also come to the dance floor followed by the Mother and Father of the Bride and Groom. About half way through the dance the Father of the Bride generally cuts in and dances with his daughter, while the Mother of the Bride dances with her new son in law, the Groom.
When Nature Calls.
Wedding Gowns are often big and very heavy and the Bride will likely need assistance if she needs to go to the ladies room. Make sure the Reception Venue has a Disability Rest Room to give the Bride and her rest room attendant more space when using this facility. Many Maid’s of Honor give this task to them self rather than ask the Bridesmaids. After all, you know the Bride best, and she will need to feel comfortable because it’s not likely that she has had company in the Ladies Room since she was a toddler. You and the Bride might decide to set up a signal or a code word when the Bride needs to use the Ladies Room so that it not too obvious to the Wedding Guests. Be gracious and kind and remember that some one either has or will show you the same courtesy on your Wedding Day.
Being asked to be the Maid of Honor is an wonderful honor and is not bestowed on every girl out there. This is your opportunity to shine, help and assist the Bride and be a most valued member of the Wedding Party. The information in Maid of Honor Tips is designed to help you be the best Maid of Honor ever!
We hope you have enjoyed The role of the Maid of Honor – Part 4 and our whole 4 part series of articles about The Role of the Maid of Honor.
The Role of the Maid of Honor is a 4 part series that explores the modern role of today’s Maid Of Honor. We will explore the Maid of Honor role, responsibilities and give some handy suggestions on how you can be the best Maid of Honor ever! Enjoy!
In this article The role of the Maid of Honor – Part 3 we will explore Wedding Day Etiquette, Organizing the Bridesmaids, Socializing at the Reception and the Wedding Gifts.
Wedding Day Etiquette.
The Maid of Honor needs to know the proper order not only entering and leaving the church but also the order of all the events of the Wedding Day. You need to know the order of events like when the food is being served, when the Bridal Dance will be and the among other things, the order of the Wedding Speeches. There is a popular trend for the Maid of Honor to give a speech after the Best Man or Groom. You will need to decide if you are going to make a Maid of Honor Speech at the Reception. If you want to share some experiences with the Wedding Guests about the Bride, lead up to the Wedding or just a funny story about the happy couple you will need to be prepared. There is a page dedicated to the Maid of Honor Wedding Speech, Click Here to access it.
Organizing the Bridesmaids.
The Maid of Honor is responsible for organizing and assigning tasks to the Bridesmaids. These tasks might include helping the Bride in and out of the Wedding Transport, helping the Bride with her veil and Train of the Wedding Dress before walking down the aisle and helping with the Bridal Gown, train and veil during the Wedding Photos as well as throughout the Ceremony and Reception. There is one more thing you need to decide, who will help the Bride when nature calls.
Socializing at the Reception.
The Bride and Groom will likely go around and meet all of the Wedding Guests at some point during the Reception. You and the Best Man will need to assist them and also greet the Wedding Guests. Some do this by having a formal receiving line and greet all of the guests after arriving at the Wedding Reception, others will be less formal and will make their way around the crowd during different times during the reception. Depending on how large the Guest List is this may be too bigger task for the Bride and Groom to complete alone. This is where you and the Best Man can help out by introducing yourself to the Wedding Guests that the Bride and Groom will not have time to greet.
This can be a wonderful help to the Bride and Groom. Bring this topic up when the Bride is discussing the reception and ask if she has thought about how she and the Groom are planning to greet the Wedding Guests. Offer to take off the pressure to greet all of the Wedding Guests personally and talk about what tables the Bride and Groom will greet and what tables you and the Best Man will personally greet the Wedding Guests.
Wedding Gifts.
The Bride and Groom will not have time to open all of the Wedding Gifts. Here is another task for you and the Bridesmaids. The Wedding guests will expect that gifts bought to the Reception will be open and displayed. If the gifts are not opened and displayed you may risk offending the Wedding Guests, something you would hope not to do. There is a sense of pride in choosing and giving a Wedding Gift. Many Guests will put a great deal of thought into a wedding gift and buy the very best they can afford, so it is important that they have the opportunity to see their gift displayed at the reception. It can be a busy and confusing time, especially if there are two or three bridesmaids opening the gifts, so take a pen with you and as the gifts are opened write on the back of the wedding card what the gift was so the Bride and Groom can send detailed thank you notes. For example “Thank you for the wonderful Champagne Glasses, we will think of you when toasting special occasions with them”.
In the next article The role of the Maid of Honor – Part 4 we will explore the Wedding Photos, the Bridal Waltz or Wedding Dance and the necessary topic, when nature calls. We hope you enjoyed The role of the Maid of Honor – Part 3.
The Role of the Maid of Honor is a 4 part series that explores the modern role of today’s Maid Of Honor. We will explore the Maid of Honor role, responsibilities and give some handy suggestions on how you can be the best Maid of Honor ever! Enjoy!
In this article The role of the Maid of Honor – Part 2 we will explore The Wedding Guest List and how the Maid of Honor can instantly become a trusted ally of the Mother of the Bride, Wedding Invitations and Stationary and Wedding Day Hair and Makeup options.
The Wedding Guest List.
Being closest to the Bride, the Maid of Honor it will likely be expected that you will offer your help in many planning tasks. One of the first of these will be getting the Guest List organized. You need to offer help the Bride and the Mother of the Bride with this task and make suggestions to whom the Bride would personally like to invite to the Wedding. There will always be someone, who might be very important, that they will forget. There is a growing trend to have two Wedding Guest Lists, those who are invited to the Wedding Ceremony and Reception those who are only invited to the Wedding Reception.
Having two lists help in two different ways. It allows the Wedding Ceremony to be more intimate, with less people and also allows for a smaller chapel or church as the venue for the Ceremony. This might also save the Bride and the Mother of the Bride some off the Wedding Budget allowing more to be spent in other areas. When helping with the Guest List make a suggestion of having a smaller guest list for the Ceremony and give the resons why. Even if the Bride decides against this idea you are likely to become a trusted ally of the Mother of the Bride.
Wedding Invitations and Stationary.
Another consideration would be about the type of wedding invitations and there are lots of options. For the budget minded there are a number of Do-It-Yourself Wedding Invitation Sets that can be ordered on line and printed through a normal home computer printer. This can be a great saving and also allows the Bride and Mother of the Bride to choose exactly what they would like printed in each of the wedding invitations. They could choose to add the names of the invited guest in the text instead of adding the guests name to a dotted line. This gives the Wedding Invitations a more personal edge and they look very professional when finished. Helping the bride make this wedding guest list and finding the some options for the wedding stationary can reduce the some of the wedding planning stress for the Bride and Mother of the Bride.
Wedding Day Hair and Make-up.
As the Maid of Honor you will likely be consulted about hair and makeup for the Wedding Day. It would be a good idea to do your homework on this topic and make a few calls to local Beauty Salons and get some price quotes. It would be best to have your top five choices to include a Beauty Salon that will provide hair styling, make-up and manicures all at the one location close to where the Bride lives. Some Beauty Salons will offer a trial day where all of the female Wedding Attendants can have a hair and make-up done as a trial. This serves a few purposes.
- The Bride can see exactly how she and that other attendants will look and can make any necessary changes.
- The Hairdresser, manicurist and makeup artist can actually time how long it all takes for each member of the Wedding party which will help to reduce stress for all concerned on the Big Day.
- It’s a really fun day and the Bride will surely enjoy the chance to see her vision coming together.
This is a wonderful activity to have just prior to the Bachellorette Party because everyone has their hair and make-up done for a big night out on the town. Ask the Hair Stylist to change the Brides look before you leave the Beauty Salon so it will look different than on the Wedding Day.
In the next article The role of the Maid of Honor – Part 3 we will explore Wedding Day Etiquette Organizing the Bridesmaids, Socializing at the Reception and the Wedding Gifts. We hope you enjoyed The role of the Maid of Honor – Part 2.
The Role of the Maid of Honor is a 4 part series that explores the modern role of today’s Maid Of Honor. We will explore the Maid of Honor role, responsibilities and give some handy suggestions on how you can be the best Maid of Honor ever! Enjoy!
In this article The Role of the Maid of Honor – Part 1 we will explore a brief history of the Maid of Honor, Special Tasks and the Bridal Shower or Bachellorette party and Bridal Shower Theme ideas.
Maid of Honor History.
The role of Maid of Honor is usually filled by the Bride’s closest friend or a close relative, except of course the Mother of the Bride. Historically the Maid of Honor would have been the most senior of the Bridesmaids, usually married and was the person who is made responsible to ensure that the Bride is looking at her best for the Wedding Ceremony and well prepared for Married life. Part of The Maid of Honor’s role was to approve the Bridal Gown, choice of accessories including the Wedding bouquet and give advice about getting married and what was expected to happen after the Wedding. It was left to the Maid of Honor to ensure that the Bride knew what was going to happen on the Wedding Night so the Bride was well prepared. Of course this was long ago, in the days when chastity and purity were prized, sex was never spoken about and young ladies knew very little about the birds and the bees.
Special Tasks of the Maid of Honor.
In recent times the Maid of Honor has been expected to take on a more central role in the Planning of the Wedding, helping to choose the theme, colors, venues, flowers and of course be present when choosing the Bridal Gown. As the Maid of Honor you are required to complete some special tasks during the Wedding ceremony for example, holding the Bridal bouquet while the Bride and Groom say their vows and also signing the Wedding Certificate as a witness to the newly weds commitment of Marriage. The Maid of Honor is also responsible for holding and presenting the Grooms Wedding Ring at the appropriate time during the Wedding Ceremony.
Bridal Shower or Bachellorette Party.
Organizing the bridal shower also is another task to be completed by the Maid of Honor. The bride will expect the Bridal Shower to be well organized and will be one of the most precious memories of the time just prior to the Wedding Day. The Bridal Shower is the Brides day to enjoy being with her closest friends and celebrate, it may be the last time that she is single in a social setting. Many Brides choose to have two parties. The first, the larger of the two, a Bridal Shower to be shared with friends and relatives and the second, a Bachellorette Party to share with her closest friends and really let her hair down. Talk to the Bride and ask what she would prefer. Chances are that as Maid of Honor you will likely have to arrange both of these events.
Bridal Shower Theme Ideas.
Naughty & Nice Shower.
What is a Naughty & Nice Shower? A shower where guests bring one “naughty” gift for the Bride and Groom’s honeymoon, and one “nice” gift. Collect all the naughty gifts in a black satin pillow case and tie with a red ribbon for the couple’s honeymoon night. Then play one naughty game and one nice game.
Hawaiian Luau.
Transport your guests to the Hawaiian islands with tiki torches, orchids and birds of paradise, bright colors like hot pink, bright orange and neon green. Find someone who can teach guests a few steps of a hula dance and your guests will be out of their chairs having a fun time – in no time!
Wine and Cheese Tasting Shower.
Arrange for an elegant afternoon of wine tasting! Include all kinds of different wine and cheese for guests to sample, with a name label next to each one. Guests can learn about different wines and cheeses, the Bride ends up with a set of nice wine glasses, and the guests take home a wine charm as a party favor.
Couples Stock The Bar Shower.
Invite the guys because they’ll want to be included! Have guests bring a bottle of wine to share, and a gift to help stock the couple’s bar.
Bed & Breakfast Shower.
Host this shower in the morning and serve a breakfast buffet. Bring gifts for the bedroom and kitchen and play some fun bed, breakfast and kitchen games!
Kitchen Shower.
If the new bride doesn’t know how to cook, this shower is for her! Gather up all her friends and family and let them know she needs a little help in the kitchen! Use her bridal registry to pick kitchen shower gifts and play some kitchen and cooking related games.
Pink Shower.
How do you host a pink shower? Just think pink! Ask the guests to wear all pink, to wrap their gifts in pink, then choose desserts and beverages that are pink. Throw in pink tablecloths and floral arrangements with pink and white Orchids and you have a pink shower! Any other color would work the same way, red showers are very popular as red is known to be associated with passion and love.
In the next article The role of the Maid of Honor – Part 2 we will explore The Wedding Guest List and how the Maid of Honor can instantly become a trusted ally of the Mother of the Bride, Wedding Invitations and Stationary and Wedding Day Hair and Makeup options. We Hope you have enjoyed The Role of the Maid of Honor – Part 1.
Maid of Honor Tips is designed to help you understand your role and responsibilities as Maid of Honor. Here you will find some valuable tips and ideas to assist you in your role of Maid of Honor or Chief Bridesmaid. There is a lot to know and a lot to plan for. There will be a substantial time commitment expected from you in order to support the Bride and help to organize many details of the Wedding.
Some of your tasks will include being the main organizer of the Bachelorette Party or Bridal Shower and will need to hone your best people skills to co-ordinate the other Bridesmaids and deal with personality conflicts as they happen. As the Maid of Honor you will need to build good relationships with many people including the Bride, Groom, Wedding Party members and the parents of the Bride and Groom.
It is a big ask to successfully complete all of the tasks expected and in the following months/weeks leading up to the Wedding Day. In this section we will be covering the following topics to assist you to be a valuable and memorable Maid of Honor.
- Helping decide on a Wedding Theme
- Choosing Wedding outfit colors and styles
- Working with the Groom
- Meeting Brides parents
- Managing Bridesmaids
- Shopping for the Dresses and Shoes
- Wedding Venues
- Bachelorette Party
- Wedding Shower
- The Wedding Ceremony
- Wedding Reception
- Maid of Honor Wedding Speech
Please feel free to leave comment at the end of this page or get in contact with us through the “Contact Us” Page if you have questions or suggestions for more topics to include in Maid of Honor Tips to assist you prepare to be a fantastic and memorable Maid of Honor.
Wedding Speeches Store thanks you for visiting and hopes you will enjoy the series of Maid of Honor Tips.