During the early stages of the wedding plans, the Maid Of Honour (also known as the Matron of Honour) plays a crucial role; she agrees to become the bride's personal attendant.  Her duties begin months before the actual ceremony, starting by helping the bride choose and address the wedding invitations.  Her next obligation is the dress selection, where she helps the bride and bridesmaids choose their dresses.  The Maid of Honour should have a slightly different dress than the bridesmaids.

The bridal shower is one of the key responsibilities of the Maid of Honour.  Often the shower is a 'surprise' and in this case the Maid of Honour should plan the party with the bride's mother or other friends. If the shower is not a surprise, the Maid of Honour should discuss the main logistics of the shower with the bride (i.e., who to invite and where the shower should be.)  She then takes over all of the shower details. She invites all the guests by invitation or telephone.  She may set up a registry at one of the bride's favorite stores so that guests may contribute into a fund for the bride's choice of items.  At the same time the M.O.H may decide on a bachelorette party.  Normally this is a party just for the bride's close friends. Often these parties are as raunchy as the bachelor party. 

The same advice goes for the girls as for the guys: DO NOT HAVE THE BACHELORETTE PARTY THE NIGHT BEFORE THE WEDDING. The bride wants to look her best the next day. A fun thing for the M.O.H. to do is to plan a shopping spree where she and the bride buy lingerie for the honeymoon.

 

The true test of a great M.O.H. happens on the wedding day. She should make herself available to help the bride get ready for the ceremony. This means arriving at the bride's house, the salon, or the church as early as the bride requests, to help with last minute details such as the bride's and bridesmaid's fittings. If the bride has a long train, she should carry it, preventing it from dragging on the ground and getting dirty whenever possible. During the ceremony she should help the bride sit down if the dress is bulky. She will hold onto the groom's ring and give it to the bride at the appropriate time. The M.O.H.will also hold the bride's bouquet as needed. The Maid of Honour is often a legal witness and should be prepared to sign some documents during the marriage ceremony.

During the reception, the M.O.H. stands in the receiving line if there is one. A good suggestion is for the Maid of Honour to prepare a small emergency bag with a mini sewing kit, aspirin, bandaids etc. If she also prepares 'elegant' slippers for the bride to slip into during the latter part of the reception (because the bride's feet will be aching from her elegant but uncomfortable shoes) than she deserves some kind of award. She stays till the end of the reception, and agrees to return any formalwear if needed.