What Are Maid of Honor Duties? A Complete Checklist

Someone close to you calls you and tells you they’re engaged, and then you’re asked to be the maid of honor.

You feel excited, happy, and honored. After all, of all the people, this person chose you to be their maid of honor.

If you have been in this position before, you’ll likely find ways to prepare as soon as possible, but if it’s your first time, you might start to wonder, what are the maid of honor duties?

How do you prepare, and how can you be an efficient and effective maid of honor?

What is a maid of honor?

Let’s start with the basics first. What is a maid of honor?

A maid of honor is a trusted person with their own share of duties and responsibilities. They won’t just attend the wedding beside the bride.

The maid of honor is the bride’s trusted right hand and also the head bridesmaid.

As a maid of honor, you are expected to lead, help plan, be an emotional support, and many more.

Don’t worry, though, it may sound like a lot, but this experience will be fun and memorable.

To make things easier, you must be familiar with all your maid of honor duties and the many other ways you can help.

What are the responsibilities of a maid of honor?

How familiar are you with the maid of honor responsibilities? The maid of honor job is critical, not just for the couple getting married, but for the entire wedding.

The Maid of Honor shall play a vital role in supporting the bride and ensuring the wedding day is close to perfect.

Part of the responsibilities includes assisting in wedding planning, overlooking pre-wedding events and appointments, being there for the bride, planning the bachelorette party, helping with the wedding day preparations, and on the wedding day itself, assisting the bride.

Not just that, some other duties are still expected from the maid of honor. Ultimately, the maid of honor’s responsibility is to assist the bride and support whichever way she can.

Let’s go into detail about the different maid of honor duties.

Pre-ceremony maid of honor duties

What does a maid of honor do before the wedding?

There is a lot that you can do for the couple, even before the wedding. Here are just some of the maid of honor duties.

1. Be there for the bride

The bride will surely be excited but nervous in preparing for her wedding. Be there for her, listen, and assist her with questions. Your presence will mean a lot.

2. Help shop for the dress

One of the most exciting parts of a wedding is choosing the wedding gown. The good news is that you get to help the bride pick the best one.

3. Review the budget with the bride

If you both have time, helping the bride with the budget will greatly benefit her. She may need other ideas, suggestions, and financial advice from someone she trusts.

Related Reading: 15 Tips for Getting Married on a Budget

4. Check on everyone

You can help the couple by checking on the invited guests. Having a list of those who will come to the wedding and those who won’t can affect the wedding plans. You can also remind the bride and the groom to attend their premarital counseling.

5. Execute an unforgettable bachelorette party

Don’t forget the bachelorette party! The role of maid of honor includes planning an awesome bachelorette party.

6. Prepare your speech

You may be busy with all your maid of honor duties but don’t forget your wedding speech. Write one ahead of time so you can familiarize yourself with it.

Related Reading: How to Write a Maid of Honor Speech

7. Keep track of gifts

Some people love giving gifts before the wedding. Have a small notebook where you can keep track of these gifts.

8. Oversee the planning

You’ll be a great help to the bride-to-be by overseeing the planning of the wedding. You can check how the invitations are going, the souvenirs, and so much more.

9. Be sure all the bridesmaids are ready

Since you are the head of the bridesmaids, you can also oversee how they are preparing. If they need anything or if some of them won’t attend. 

10. Help the bride pack for the wedding and honeymoon

The bride might also ask for your opinion about their honeymoon. You can suggest and even help if you can.

Ceremony maid of honor duties

As the maid of honor, your presence is very important on the wedding day. Here are some of the maid of honor wedding day duties to remember:

11. Check all the reception items

Do a quick visit to check if everything is going smoothly in the reception area.

12. Ensure that the bride has all she needs

Make sure that the bride-to-be has everything she needs.

13. Make last calls

Check on the caterer, the driver of the wedding car, and even the groom.

14. Make sure the bride eats and drinks

The wedding is going to be a hectic day. Make sure that the bride gets to eat and drink before the ceremony.

15. Assist the bride’s parents

Don’t forget about the bride’s parents. Check on them to make sure they are okay and if they need anything.

16. Help the bride get dressed

As the maid of honor, the bride will trust you to help her dress.

17. Check her hair and makeup

You can also ensure that her makeup and hair are done correctly. We want the bride to look stunning!

18. Assist if anyone in your bridesmaids needs help

You’ll also be the first person the bridesmaids will call if they need something, so be ready to answer questions and assist.

19. Check the bouquet

Let’s not forget to check if the bride’s bouquet is ready and pretty.

20. Take a group photo

Don’t forget to gather everyone for a quick photo. We don’t want to miss this beautiful event.

Reception maid of honor duties

What about in the reception? Well, we also have a maid of honor checklist for you.

21. Help the bride freshen up

Before proceeding with the reception, talk to the bride and help her freshen up. You can also assist her if she wants to go to the restroom.

22. Be the host (optional)

Some maid of honor can also become the hosts of the reception. You better be ready.

23. Dance with the best man

Let’s not forget the dance between the maid of honor and the best man.

24. Check on the bride

Now and then, don’t forget to check with the bride if she needs something. This would mean a lot.

25. Give your own toast after the best man

After the best man gives his toast, it’s time to give yours. Remember the speech that you’ve prepared? This is when you’ll use it.

26. Make sure that the bride eats and drinks

The reception could be a busy time for the newlyweds. Make sure the bride eats and drinks.

27. Check on the bride’s parents

Again, let’s not forget about the bride’s parents. The bride will appreciate you for looking after them.

28. Collect wedding gifts if needed

You can also oversee the wedding gifts if needed.

29. Enjoy the reception

While you may be busy with all your maid of honor duties, don’t forget to eat and drink. Have fun!

30. Help the newlyweds while they are on honeymoon

After the event and before the couple goes on their honeymoon, you might want to ask if you could help. You can watch their pets, home, or their kids if they have any.

Some commonly asked questions

Here are the answers to some pressing questions related to the maid of honor duties that can help clear out your doubts regarding the same:

• Who walks with the maid of honor?

If we follow tradition, the maid of honor usually walks the aisle alone, but in some traditions, one of the groomsmen may accompany her.

The decision will be up to you or the couple, depending on what the wedding theme would be.

In any event that the maid of honor won’t have an escort, she may choose to have a bouquet of her own.

Watch this video for some wedding preparation tips:

• Does the maid of honor have to give a speech?

It is usually part of the maid of honor duties to give a toast or a speech during the wedding reception, but it’s not mandatory.

It’s up to the bride or the maid of honor if they feel comfortable giving a speech or not.

In the end, the Maid of Honor should be certain and comfortable in their choice, and the bride should be mindful of their wishes.

Final thoughts

Being the maid of honor is indeed an honor. It means you are an important person to the couple and that they trust you.

There will be a lot of maid of honor duties and responsibilities, but don’t let them intimidate you. Instead, being familiar with them and careful planning will help.

Aside from that, you’ll surely enjoy this event, so embrace your role and be there for the bride.

Ultimately, it’s important that everyone is happy, comfortable, and able to enjoy this beautiful celebration.