The 10 tasks of a maid of honour

The time has come, your best friend, sister or cousin has her big day. She wants to celebrate her love for her partner in a big way and has asked you if you would like to be her maid of honour . Of course you are very happy and feel honoured that she has entrusted you with this task! Hmm... but what does a maid of honour have to do? Do you feel a bit overwhelmed by the task?

If you want to know exactly what the most important things are that you can support the future wife with as a maid of honour and how you can master them perfectly, then take a look at our tips and tricks on the 10 tasks of a maid of honour .

All of these points are suggestions and are intended to serve as inspiration . You don't have to stress about trying to do everything. It is not forbidden to get support from the other guests as a maid of honor. Have fun supporting your friend and get involved as much as you feel comfortable with.

Are witnesses mandatory?

The appointment of witnesses has not been compulsory in Germany since the end of the 1990s, just like in the Protestant Church. However, up to two witnesses can be appointed to witness the marriage. For Catholics, two witnesses must be present at the marriage ceremony.

Where does the tradition of witnesses come from?

Whether it's mandatory or not, the bride and groom like to appoint at least one witness each to help the future couple with the wedding preparations and during the celebrations. The most important thing, in everything you do, is to be sensitive and try to take the bride's burden off her and take her stress away. It's nice when you're there for her and bring the preparations for her dream wedding even closer together in a friendly way. But don't forget that it's her big day and you're only supposed to advise her and not intervene too much. Your duties as a witness are divided between before the wedding, during the ceremony and the wedding party.

Before the wedding

1. Choose the wedding dress

What could be better than going shopping with a good friend? And if it's her wedding dress, even better! As maid of honor, you'll be there to help the bride buy the most important dress of her life: her wedding dress . There's so much to decide that it's a good idea to search magazines and the Internet with the bride beforehand for the models and materials that the bride's dream dress should have. The future wife should think about what you have in mind in terms of design and accessories beforehand so that you can start your preparatory research .

It is your job to be a good advisor to your soon-to-be-married friend. It's about encouraging her in her choice, but also telling her honestly when she's got a dress that objectively doesn't suit her at all. Be sensitive and advise the bride-to-be in the way you would like to be supported. Find out together about the most beautiful cuts, the best bridal shops and maybe go wedding dress shopping with the bride's mother and a few companions!

It is the first time that the bride can feel like a bride. Try not to project your own ideas onto the dress selection and create an atmosphere together with the other attendants in which the bride feels comfortable and can choose her very special dream dress.

2. Take care of wedding preparations

A wedding requires a lot of preparation. Depending on how the bride and groom organize their wedding celebration or have it organized, you can help out. Ask the bride and groom if you can help them with their preparations and take on some of the tasks . Here, too, help is welcome, but so is agreement with the bride and groom. Don't decide anything on your own, but try to work with the future couple to successfully prepare for the most beautiful day of their lives.

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3. Organize a hen party

In keeping with the tradition among male wedding guests, the girls have also had the custom of celebrating the end of their bachelorhood in a convivial atmosphere. It's your job to organize the party ! Find out what the bride would like to do with you and what she really doesn't want to do.

There are many inspiring ideas for a hen party if you don't want to go through the pedestrian zone with the classic tray. Organize a day to suit the bride's taste and make the farewell with her friends unforgettable! You can plan the activities in secret or you can let the bride in on everything so that she can be there for your girls' party.

4. Provide advice and support - reassure the bride

As a maid of honour, it is your job to take care of the bride emotionally, especially before the wedding but of course also during the celebrations. Organising a wedding can be a nerve-wracking task. Some of us have dreamed of the perfect dream wedding since we were children.

When the day arrives, everything should go smoothly. It's completely normal for things to go wrong here and there. You should be there for your bride and listen to her worries and concerns. Reassure her when she needs it and be there for her with all your friend qualities. It is sometimes customary for the maid of honour to stay the night with the bride the evening before the wedding. This way you can take care of yourselves for the next day and forget that the bride is already feeling a little nervous during a nice girls' night out.

Do you want to give your friend a gift so that she can relax and look forward to her big day before her wedding? Then our wedding countdown calendar is the ideal gift to chase away the stress and put a smile on the bride's face.

During the wedding ceremony

Of course, it depends on what type of wedding the bride and groom have chosen. During the ceremony, you sit close to the bride and can give her security with your proximity.

5. Sign the marriage certificate

This is the job that is traditionally considered to be the best man's job. You are present at the ceremony and sign the marriage certificate together with the bride and groom. Very important: Please do not forget your ID card !

6. Holding the bridal bouquet

Just as the male best man traditionally keeps the rings, it is your job as the maid of honor to hold the bride's bouquet . As beautiful as it is to look at, the bridal bouquet can be an obstacle for certain activities. If the bride needs free hands to sign, you take it from her and keep it for the time being.

Support at the celebration

Your help is still needed after the ceremony. Of course, you can also celebrate the bride and groom and toast with them. However, there is usually a schedule at the wedding reception, and you can support the bride and her husband with the sequence.

7. Emergency bag so nothing can go wrong

To ensure the bride has a stress-free wedding celebration, you should be prepared for all disasters, big and small. For the former, you can put together a small emergency kit in advance. What should be in it?

These are the things you need in your wedding bag: Anti-mosquito spray more comfortable shoes Blister plasters Deodorant & Perfume Replacement tights Hair clips Hairspray Hand cream Comb Chewing gum Small change Headache tablets Lip care Make-up & small mirror Nail scissors & file Sewing kit Pavement transparent nail polish for tights Superglue Safety pins Tampons/Pads handkerchiefs glucose

These are our ideas for you about what you can pack in your emergency bag for the wedding. Here and there, you will of course have to weigh up to what extent you need the items on the list. For a winter wedding, you obviously don't need to pack mosquito repellent spray. But a pair of extra warm tights are more in demand.

Use the list as inspiration to be a good maid of honor for the bride and to avoid any unnecessary annoyances . You can also offer to sort out any major problems for the bride and groom. Because even at wedding celebrations, no matter how big or small, nothing is as hot as it's cooked.

8. Take care of gifts and tidying up

During the celebration, the bride and groom will receive gifts from many guests. So that the bride and groom can devote themselves to entertaining all the guests in peace, it is your job to bring the gifts to the designated place . This can be a gift table that has been set up beforehand. You are the one in charge of cleaning up, so to speak! This also applies to the end of the celebration, when the bride and groom have long since disappeared to their suite or on their honeymoon.

9. Accompany the bride to the toilet & do her make-up

As banal as it may sound, the bride may need help going to the toilet. Wedding dresses look great, but they are not always super practical. Regardless of whether the bride has chosen a voluminous princess dress or a tight-fitting mermaid dress, a helping hand can never hurt . It is best to talk together beforehand about whether your friend would like help and agree on a discreet signal that only you both know about. Then nothing can go wrong.

You should also be attentive and act as a mirror for the bride. What does that mean? Take a good look at the new bride every now and then and check whether her hair is still in place and her make-up still looks fresh . So many photos will be taken on this day that you can help the bride to get beautiful souvenir photos of her wedding. It also makes her feel extra good, which is especially important on such an exciting day that has involved so much preparation.

10. Provide entertainment

The ceremony is over, everyone has toasted with champagne and perhaps even satisfied their appetite with some cake. And now? If the bride and groom have planned a few items on the program, help them stick to the schedule and remind them to dance the wedding dance, announce the fireworks or open the buffet. Do guests have any questions about the program? Then give them friendly information.

If guests have thought up program items or you have even prepared a surprise yourself, then it is up to you to coordinate the different acts harmoniously. Remember, it is always about taking the pressure off the bride and groom and giving them a nice celebration.

One of the classic tasks of a maid of honor can be to give a speech . It is not obligatory, but is appreciated. Don't worry if you are too shy and don't like speaking in front of crowds. Another great idea is to put your thoughts on paper and ceremoniously present them to the bride and groom.

So if you want to give your friend a few personal words to say, write down a few lines in advance that you can say at the right time. But you should always let the bride's parents' speeches take precedence.

So much to do?!

Do you think that you have a lot to do? Don't worry! Nobody is expecting you to carry out all of these tasks perfectly . As a maid of honour, it's all about having a great celebration with the bride, her husband-to-be and the guests. How much you want to be involved in the preparations is up to you. Whatever you do for your friend or sister, it's important that you feel comfortable. So take it easy and talk to the bride about how she needs your help.