Being a Maid of Honour is so much bloody fun! When else can you get glammed up, drink champagne before 9am and have an excuse to “wear that colour lipstick you always want to wear but never have the balls” to? Plus, you get to watch your best mate / sister / cousin (whoever she is!) marry the partner of her dreams.
BUT… it’s important to remember that as a Maid of Honour, you have a duty of care to your Bride. And that duty of care comes into play well before the wedding. So, how can you be the most kickarse MOH ever?
1. Plan ahead
A few weeks before the wedding, sit down and think of all the bits and pieces you can help out with on the wedding day. Does the Bridal suite need to be stocked with food, drinks, music? Is it worth packing some extra double sided tape? Do you have a stash of emergency tampons?
My #1 tip to any MOH is to Google/YouTube/Pinterest how to lace up or tie your Bride’s dress – this is essential and often overlooked.
Be prepared to get your hands up underneath and straighten out the material every time she uses the loo. You may even have to help lift that thing up while she goes to the loo as well! If you’re not the type of friends who pee together very often, I recommend making light-hearted conversation about the rowdiest guest you’ve noticed so far.
2. Get on the same level
I’m an emotional creature – I laugh til I snort, and cry til I laugh. I get invested in the situation and catch all the feels. But as a Bridesmaid, and particularly as a MOH I always remember to be on the same emotional level of the Bride. If she’s not highly emotive, I try not to be either. This can cause friction or nervous energy unnecessarily and at the end of the day, we want the Bride to be 100% comfortable. We don’t want to draw attention to anything she doesn’t want to focus on. Don’t get me wrong, if Bridie-McBride starts getting stressed, we’re there to calm the situation and work through it – not run around in a flap. But emotionally, I think a good bridesmaid is first and foremost a strong emotional support.
3. Be positive
Planning a wedding can be a little stressful, so having a MOH who finds solutions and assists with decisions is worth her weight in gold Kit Kats (seriously, they’re a real thing and if you haven’t tried it yet, you HAVEN’T LIVED!). Stay positive for your bride – her photographer might not be available for the wedding, help her look for a new one. Her MIL might be being a royal pest, get the Mortein. She’s accidentally blown the budget, win the lotto. You feel me? There’s a solution to every problem or hiccup; your job is to always, always stay positive.
Remember, the Bride has put you at the helm of the ship for a reason. What are your strengths? Be smart and use them.
K x
