Happy Friday! I decided to stay home tonight because I was feeling under the weather, and during this time of Netflix binging and drinking copious amount of tea, it made me reminisce about my sister’s wedding. It’s crazy to think that one minute I was helping her soon-to-be hubby with wedding ring shopping, and then BAM! They exchanged their vows and went on their honeymoon. As the maid of honor, there are many things that I learned, as well as many things that I would’ve done differently. Whether you’re going to be the MOH or a bridesmaid, check out the list below of the lessons that I learned to ensure that your friend, sister, etc. has the most epic wedding ever.
Pinterest Is Your Best Friend
When my sister asked me to be her MOH, my first thought was “Yay! Let’s do thissss!” followed by “Uhhh, what the heck do I do now?!”. Being a first time MOH can be a little intimidating, so first things first, this is the time to organize. Create a wedding binder to keep all the wedding documents in place and print off checklists, to-do lists, tips, speeches, etc. from Pinterest for guidance. Pinterest is the holy grail for wedding planning because there are pins for ALL of your needs. I personally searched for pins with the caption “Wedding Planning Checklist, Maid of Honor Duties, Bachelorette Party Do’s and Don’ts, Wedding Speech Examples” and so on.
The Bride’s Vision
After you start the organizing, you should meet up with the bride to discuss what their definite ‘wants’ are for the big day. The bride might be one of those people who has had every detail planned out to the T since they were 15, or they might need new ideas from you. Whatever the case may be, you need to make sure that you listen to everything the bride wants (even if you disagree). Luckily for me, my sister and I have similar taste so I offered her a few ideas here and there to help her out. But if your bride-to-be is obsessed with having a clown-themed wedding… don’t try to change their mind even if it’s not what you envision it to be!
You & The Wedding Squad
Whether you have known the bridesmaids for years, or all of you are complete strangers, it’s your job to initiate “girl time” to discuss wedding planning and what your expectations are. You need to be the glue that keeps these chicks all together, which may be difficult at times when you blend a bunch of different personalities together! It’s important to ask the bridesmaids how involved they plan to be in the wedding process as well as their financial situation, which will probably be the biggest topic for all of the girls.
Ask For Help
When it comes to planning the bachelorette party or the bridal shower, ask for help! Ask the bridesmaids to participate in decorating, cooking, creating games, etc. Every person is creative in different ways, and this is the time to let the girls show what they can do for the bride. Don’t put all the pressure on yourself.. plus it will keep the group close 😉
Learn The Bachelorette Party Boundaries
Before you plan the bachelorette party, ask the bride what vibe she is aiming for. Some brides want a relaxing spa party while others want to have a super crazy weekend. Knowing what the bride wants will help you plan accordingly. For out-of-state parties, book a hotel months in advance. It will be less costly and give the bridesmaids more time to take off from work, etc. Whether it’s a chill or girls gone wild weekend, make sure to bring a crown/sash for the bride, as well as her favorite drink.. they may not ask for it, but it’s a sweet gesture and it’s cute for pics 🙂
Oh, and don’t plan anything raunchy unless the bride specifically asks! 😉
The Wedding Day Necessities
The wedding day is the day where the bride should have the most help, and it’s your job to make sure that she is as relaxed as she can be! At some point, there will be some type of issue (big or small), and it’s important to accept problems as they come. Make sure to bring an emergency kit full of wedding day necessities (tape, band aids, Advil, deodorant, hairspray, etc.) as well as WATER AND SNACKS. The last thing you want is a dehydrated and hungry bride fainting before walking down the aisle!
The last advice I want to give is for you to enjoy every moment of the wedding process and take as many pictures as possible (including at the fittings)!
I hope you all found this post informative 🙂 Comment below!
