Full disclosure: I'm writing this post while sitting in the flannel shirt I got for my best friend's wedding so it's safe to say I'm still not over how much fun we had last week.
Being my best friend Sabrina's maid of honor was beyond incredible. Not just because she gave me the best coffee mug that said "Maid of Honor" but because she was the most incredible bride and she's the best friend a girl could ask for!
I'm honestly not sure who was more excited about her wedding, her or me, but I do know that we were both equally as exhausted by the end of the day. Y'all, weddings are so fun but man they are A LOT!
I could write a million posts about how amazing the weekend was but today I want to give some advice to those of you who may also be embarking on the adventure that is being someone's Maid of Honor. There's a lot more that goes into it so make sure you are ready to go!
But, for now, grab a coffee or hell even a glass of wine and take a look at my Top 5 Tips for being the best Maid of Honor!
🌷 Be There for the Bride
As simple as this sounds it's the most important thing you can do as a maid of honor. Whether the bride needs someone to help make flower arrangements and decorate the venue or wants someone to sit there with her while she writes her vows your a** better be there.
If you're like me then physically being there for most of the planning isn't feasible (i.e. you live in a different state) but hell Facetime works wonders. If you have to travel for the wedding, arrive a few days before everyone else. This gives you the chance to spend time with the bride before the craziness of the wedding and gives you the chance to help with any last-minute things. Plus, who doesn't want a few extra days of vacation?
Weddings are exciting, so fun and so stressful all at once, so don't be surprised if being there for the bride means wiping some tears, running some errands, and handling the minor issues that come up.
🌷 Take Charge When You Need To
Listen, the bride is already overwhelmed so the smallest things are going to feel like the end of the world to her. That means that at some point you've got to take charge!
Plan on being in charge of wrangling bridesmaids, double-checking the packing lists, making the emergency kits (for the bridesmaids and the groomsmen), and don't be surprised if taking charge also means getting the families on board with the plans.
Don't wait for her to ask you to take over something, be ready to jump in and do it! Your job is to make everything as easy and stress-free as possible for the bride, so take over if things are getting to be too much for her. She may not say it right then, but she'll appreciate it more than any gift you could get her!
🌷 Handle the Pre-Wedding Logistics
No bride wants people to ask her the same questions 1000 times leading up to the wedding. "What time do we need to be there?" "Where do we park?" "Who's packing what?" etc. etc. I'll say it again SHE'S GOT ENOUGH GOING ON. So, Maid of Honor, it's up to you!
Send a text to all of the bridal party with all of the information they need for the rehearsal, wedding, etc. Talk to family members and see who can help set up or what the plan is. If there isn't a plan, make one.
The night before the wedding, pack the car. Don't make the bride or groom double check that everything is in there, you do it. Plan to drive (or plan a driver) for yourself and the bride to get to the venue the morning of (and for bonus points, make sure your route to the venue includes a coffee run). Make sure the newlyweds have a plan for getting home. Actually, make sure everyone has a plan for getting home.
If there are any last-minute items that need to be packed or picked up, write a list and handle it. Whatever logistics need to be thought out before the wedding - figure them out!
🌷 Get Some Comfy Shoes, Some Alcohol and Some Caffeine (oh and Water)
Specific I know, but just trust me!
First of all, make sure the bride (and yourself) are staying hydrated on wedding day (and the days leading up to it), you'll both thank yourselves later. I hate saying it, but I really think this was a huge reason my skin looked so great on the day of Sabrina's wedding. Other than having to pee every 3 minutes, I'm glad I thought about bringing a water bottle everywhere.
Two, coffee, coffee, coffee! Especially the morning of the wedding. It's a simple gesture but buying coffee for the bride (and groom if you're going to see him) the morning of the wedding is so simple and sweet! There's no way we would've survived the late-night planning and prep work, early morning nails, and early morning wedding day without caffeine! A lot can happen when the bride and the maid of honor have some caffeine on board!
Listen, sometimes things get stressful, so have some fun and break out the alcohol! It sounds silly, but Sabrina and I got a lot done and avoided many a breakdown with the help of orange bubbly sparkling water and vanilla rum throughout the week! Plus everyone loved mimosas while getting ready for the wedding!
Comfy shoes! You want them, you need them, go get them! As Maid of Honor you are running around, fluffing the bride's dress, wrangling bridesmaids, unpacking the car, etc. so heels are not practical. Let me say it again, heels are not practical. I wore the cutest pair of yellow heels for the ceremony and by the end of bridal party photos, I was in a pair of $10 Big Lots slippers. They saved my life! Sure, I had my dress hemmed to the right length for my heels so I stepped on my dress in my slippers the whole night, but it was so much better than dealing with blisters and sore feet from my heels.
🌷 Have Fun
Honestly, what's the point of going to a wedding if you aren't going to have fun? Weddings are meant for being silly, celebrating love, and having a blast so don't ruin it by stressing yourself and everyone else out. Sure, there will be some stressful moments, but make it a point to have fun every step of the way. Making bouquets? Have fun and be silly! Trying to get to the venue on time with a car full of decorations and people? Blast some music! Whatever you can do to have fun, do it!
There's nothing more exciting than being a maid of honor, so enjoy it and have fun celebrating the people you love!
*** Like I said, weddings are a blast, so much so that our photo-taking abilities were severely limited so we'll be waiting for the professional photos! ***
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