Planning

Wedding Party

The Role of the Maid of Honour

Here's what your maid of honour needs to know when it comes to your wedding day.

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After weeks of helping the bride with the wedding preparations, your role as maid of honour takes on special significance when the wedding day arrives.

Besides standing up as her main honour attendant during the ceremony, here's a practical guide to your traditional duties that start when the day begins:

• Arrive early at the bride's home (or wherever the bride is planning to dress) to help with the gown and any final packing for the honeymoon. Help assist the hairstylist and/or makeup artist and the photographer, and, if things start to get out of hand, to calm nerves, direct traffic, and pour coffee.
  
  
• Make sure you get the groom's ring from the bride.

  
  
  

  • Since it is traditional for the bride to arrive at the wedding site with her father, the honour attendant can opt to travel alone, or with the bridesmaids and/or the mother of the bride.
    
    
  • You may offer to take the bridesmaids' flowers to the wedding site and ensure that each maid receives her bouquet.
    
    
  • Once at the site, you can help to make final adjustments to the bride's train and veil.
    
    
  • During the ring exchange, the honour attendant holds the bride's bouquet and gives the groom's wedding ring to the bride. (If the bride has chosen two honour attendants, this moment is a great opportunity to both be involved: one of you may be in charge of the ring while the other holds the bride's bouquet.)
    
    
  • At the reception, the honour attendant stands to the left of the groom in the receiving line with a constant smile and an endless supply of upbeat comments.
    
    
  • You may offer a toast to the newlyweds after the dinner if you have made arrangements to do so with the master of ceremonies (usually the best man).
    
    
  • Once the dancing begins, the honour attendant should try to mingle among the guests and meet as many of them as possible.
    
    
  • You may be asked to ensure that all the guests have signed the guest book.
    
    
  • At a cue from the bride, you should slip away to help her change into her going-away outfit. You should then take care of the bridal gown, delivering it wherever it needs to go for safekeeping.

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