7 Pieces of Advice for Maids of Honor
My sister got married in May and I had the honor to be by her side as her Matron of Honor (MOH). I must admit that I’m glad I got married first because I really believe I was able to be a better MOH because of it, and being the younger and outspoken sister that I am, I would’ve never been as sensitive and understanding. I wanted to write this post to give Maids and Matrons of Honor some guidance around how to be the best sister/friend they can be for the bride, so here are 7 simple pieces of advice.
Be selfless. It is the bride’s day, not your day or anyone else’s. It is important to ask the bride what she wants. Everyone is different, so do not assume that the bride will want what every other bride wants.
Keep others in check. Depending on the bride’s personality, you might need to help make sure the bride is being heard. Your mission is to support the bride and make her day everything she wants it to be by not letting other big personalities sway decisions.
Listen first. You will likely help the bride make decisions, and it is important to hear her out first, and then provide your opinion. It is ok to be honest but it is also important to accept, support and respect her wishes.
Bridesmaid dresses. It is impossible to find one dress that all bridesmaids love, so when dress shopping be mindful of the other body shapes, but make sure you and the bride both like the dress.
Be the bigger person. If you get into an argument with the bride, be the bigger person and apologize. It is important to understand that the closer you get to the wedding day, the more stressed and anxious the bride will be. Small arguments are unnecessary and should be quickly diffused for both of you to enjoy her big day.
Pre-wedding events. It is your responsibility to help plan her bridal shower and plan the bachelorette party. Use Pinterest for inspiration and don’t be afraid to put the bridesmaids to work and ask them for ideas or help. You should also try your best to attend any other pre-wedding events, but don’t feel obligated if you live in a different state or country.
On the wedding day:
Help the bride with any logistics, review the Wedding Timeline if possible, lead by example, and be on time.
Hold her bouquet and make sure her dress looks perfect during the ceremony
Prep for your speech. In my particular case I did not have to make a MOH speech (not a Costa Rican tradition), but if I would have had to, I would probably include some type of anecdote/story, try to incorporate something funny, address the groom, and finally just express how much she means to you and how happy you are for her.
