The key duties of a bridesmaid and maid of honour

It’s a huge compliment when one of your friends asks you to be by their side on the best day of their lives. However, now you have a crucial job to do, supporting the bride in any way you can. But what are the key duties of a bridesmaid and maid of honour? Well, relax and read on, because we’ve got you covered…

What does the bridesmaid do?

Every bride is different, but the general role of any bridesmaid is to be proactive, positive and supportive until the wedding is done and dusted and all the confetti is tidied away. This involves emotional and practical support both in the run up to the wedding and on the day, as well as plenty of kind words, honest opinions and good advice.

Duties of a bridesmaid and maid of honour: What’s the difference?

The maid of honour also has the same basic set of responsibilities, but generally with a more prominent leadership role. They would typically take the lead in planning the hen do, help to delegate jobs to the rest of the wedding party and be the bride’s go-to person for any issues on the day.

Start as you mean to go on

Below, we’ve broken-down the key duties of a bridesmaid and maid of honour. Everything from packing an emergency kit to bustling the bride’s dress. We doubt you’ll be asked to do everything on the list, but check in with your bride and see what her priorities are. We promise, you’ll earn plenty of brownie points and already be well on your way to securing the title of ‘Best Bridesmaid Ever’…

Before the wedding

The lead up to the wedding is a busy time for the bride and there are plenty of jobs you can help with. Here are a few to consider…

Celebrate the engagement

First things first, make sure you take the time to properly celebrate the big news before everyone gets stuck into the nitty gritty of planning.

Emotional support

Wedding planning can be stressful, whether that’s due to family issues, budget issues or a whole heap of other things. One of the most important duties of a bridesmaid and maid of honour is to be a shoulder to vent, laugh or cry on when the bride needs it.

Practical support

Alongside the emotional support, practical help is also key. If you can help with researching suppliers, discussing seating plans or getting stuck in with homemade decor, it will be much appreciated.

Attend appointments

Your bride may ask you to go wedding dress shopping or bridesmaids’ dress shopping with her. She might also ask you to visit her seamstress with her to learn how to bustle her dress. Try to make it a fun day, with brunch, cake or cocktails afterwards, and give your honest opinion when asked.

Help plan the hen do

The hen do is when the maid of honour and bridesmaids’ roles really come into their own. So, put your heads together to plan something that your bride will really love, with all her favourite food, drinks and activities. Take charge of all the logistics and finances too, so this is one thing the bride doesn’t have to worry about.

Prep an ‘on the day’ emergency kit

To be a 'Gold Star' bridesmaid, it’s great to be prepared. Put together a small kit of essentials for the big day, with everything from baby wipes and a needle and thread to headache pills, plasters, spare tights and more. The bride - and the rest of the wedding party - will thank you, we promise.

Don’t forget a gift 

With so much going on, it’s easy to forget a wedding gift. Choose something from the gift list, make it personal or club together with the other maids to get a bigger item.

A positive, can-do attitude

The most essential thing any bridesmaid or maid of honour can bring is a positive attitude. Bring the fun, the laughter and the bubbles and do your best keep your friend’s mood up throughout the planning process.

On the day

Get ready together and bring the good vibes

This is the start of hopefully the most special day of her life, so make sure it starts on a high note. Usually the bride and bridesmaids all get ready together and it can be a really fun part of the day. So, do your bit to make it great with a lively wedding morning playlist, a bottle of bubbly and a tasty breakfast (which you encourage the bride to eat).

Know the plan for the day

Make sure you understand the timetable for the day. If you know when you’re supposed to be travelling to the ceremony, when the meal is being served and more, you can play an important role in making sure the day runs smoothly.

Give the bride a final check over

Once you arrive at the ceremony, take a minute to check the bride is looking amazing. Drape her veil nicely, fan her train out and double check her lipstick. She’ll thank you for it when she sees the photos later!

Walk down the aisle

The big moment (and one of the easiest). Just try not to trip!

Meet the planner

Introduce yourself to the wedding planner and any other key suppliers, and let them know you’re happy to help out with any problems.

Look after the guests

Join the receiving line or do your bit to mingle, making sure everything is running smoothly. Help out with any little ones and shepherd people in the right direction for food, drinks or photographs.

Look after the bride

Make sure the bride eats something and drinks plenty of water throughout the day. Put her bouquet in some water and be a ‘bathroom buddy’ if she needs help with her dress or any makeup touch ups. She might also need help with her dress before the dancing starts.

Fill the dance floor

Bring the positive vibes one last time to get people on the dance floor. If you can rally the wedding party to get grooving the other guests will inevitably follow.

Lastly, be cool, calm and collected

Whatever the day throws at you, try to keep a cool head. The bride will appreciate it no end. No wedding day goes 100% to plan (as our real brides will tell you), so try and be flexible, patient and focus on helping the bride have a really great time, whatever happens.

After the wedding

And, you’re not done there, sorry. There are still one or two things to do to complete the job in style…

Help with the decor/clean up

The day after the wedding it’s often the job of the wedding party to help transport gifts and cards and take down any homemade decorations. If the wedding was at a dry hire venue, you might need to help return it to its original state.

Help with returns 

There may also be items to return, such as hired clothing, crockery, vases and more. If you can get involved with getting these back to their rightful owner the bride will be your friend for life!

Share photos

There will lots of parts of the day that the bride missed. So, if you can send her your best pictures and encourage others to do the same, she’ll end up with a great idea of how the whole day went.

A post-wedding catch up

And, finally, just one more thing. When the glittery dust has settled and the honeymoon is over, make sure you get a post-wedding catch up with the bride in the diary. You can have a fab time reminiscing about the dress, the guests, plus all the funny and heartfelt moments. And then you can relax, job well done!

Click here for lots more tips and ideas on the duties of a bridesmaid and maid of honour from our brilliant real life brides. Also, for more inspiration, check out our Instagram, Facebook or TikTok accounts.