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| Maid of Honour |
So you have landed yourself the gig of Maid of Honour or Best Man. Your friend has chosen you because they felt that you were their closest friend. Congratulations! Now comes the hard part – being the best Maid of Honour or Best Man you can be! This is an important role that comes with much responsibility. Your friend will treasure having you play such a huge part in their wedding, so here’s how to do the role justice.
Be ready to lend a helping hand
Things can get stressful when planning a wedding. Be ready to step in and lend a helping hand to your friend when they need you. You might have to help out with venue research, or track down a low-cost hotel for guests to stay at. Whatever the task, your friend will appreciate you helping them out when they really need it.
Prepare a killer speech
This one applies more to the Best Man than the Maid of Honour. However, it is becoming more widespread for couples to break with tradition and ask the bridesmaids to make a speech too. I have been to weddings where the speeches are filled with one-liners. Adding a bit of comedy is fantastic, but it should also be a way to show how much you care about your friends. Let your stories relate back to personal moments that will get the bride or groom smiling. I have also been to weddings where the speeches have been a bit inappropriate. Remember that the couple’s entire family will be there, including great-grandma, so try to keep it clean. Rude stories are for the hen or bucks do.
Hen and Bucks Day
It can be hard to come up with fun and original hen and bucks day ideas. However, if you get this right, your soon-to-be-married friend will appreciate it forever. The day is ultimately about your friend, so it has to appeal to the things they like. Keep budget in mind – no one is going to want to spend a fortune but at the same time people will be willing to do the things your friend loves. Send out a doodle (an online scheduling tool) to see when people are available and find a weekend or evening that suits everyone.
Don’t complain
The wedding is about the couple and not the bridesmaids or groomsmen. Be gracious when they make their choices about your outfit. After all, you will only have to wear it for a day, while the couple will have the photographs to last a lifetime. If you make a fuss about the dresses or suits and choose to go with your own thing, you will only end up wrecking your friend’s day. Remember – you can always get your revenge on them when you get married!
Be there
You were chosen for this role because the bride or groom sees you as being their best friend. Sometimes people can get caught up in the wedding planning and start to get nervous or scared. Be a shoulder for your friend to lean on and let them discuss any fears they may have with you. Give honest advice and they will appreciate it.