Planning a wedding can be extremely stressful, because it's the one day that you have been waiting for all your life and you want it to be perfect! However, you do not need to go through the load of wedding planning alone. Having an ally or confidant by your side, will help you go through these nerve-racking times. As the bride, you need to just look pretty and enjoy your wedding day. Delegate your responsibilities to the matron of honour, who can be a close friend or family member, and just relax. Handling the bridesmaids, telling them what to do, getting other wedding preparations underway, etc. are all part of the matron of honour's duties. A matron of honour is truly a person of honour, because she takes away the burden from the bride's shoulders.
Duties of the Matron of Honour
The matron of honour is somebody who will not only help you with preparations for the wedding, but is somebody who will stand by you for every little, or major need on the wedding day. Let's have a look at the different matron of honour responsibilities before and on the wedding day.
Pre-Wedding Matron of Honour Duties
She helps the bride and groom with decisions regarding the wedding theme, wedding location, reception site and even looks into the stay arrangements for out-of-town guests.
She helps the bride find an appropriate wedding decorator, helps find a wedding cake baker and also assists in selecting the best designs for the reception site, cake, etc.
She helps the bride pick designs for the wedding invitations and get them printed. Moreover, helps the bride organize her guest list and address the invitations to all the guests.
She also helps the bride prepare the bride wedding day emergency kit and makes sure every essential item is placed in the kit.
She helps the bride with the wedding gown preparations. If the bride is getting a ready-made gown, then she helps the bride shop for it, else she goes with her to buy the gown material and also accompanies her to the designer. She also helps the bride with the purchase of other bridal accessories like shoes, tiara, jewellery, etc.
The matron of honour also helps the bride pick the bridesmaid's and flower girls' dresses. Moreover, she coordinates with the bridesmaids and informs them about the days for fitting, etc.
She helps the bride with the wedding favor arrangements and gives her valuable advice in this matter as well. She also helps pick gifts for the bridesmaids.
The matron of honour also helps the bride select wedding favors for the guests.
She also plans the bridal shower and bachelorette parties, with the help of the bridesmaids.
Organizes the wedding rehearsal and dinner rehearsal and ensures everybody involved attends it. She also handles all queries regarding the same.
She also makes appointments at a hair/beauty salon for the bridesmaids and ensures all of them get ready in time.
During the Wedding
The matron of honour makes sure the bride reaches the parlor, gets ready and reaches the church on time. She also ensures the bridesmaids are ready on time and are well aware of their respective duties.
The matron of honour should also shepherd the bridal party into the Church for the bridal march, at the appropriate time. She is to oversee the flower girls, page boys and bridesmaids. She should ensure the flower girls have their baskets, the page boy has the ring cushion, etc.
During the wedding ceremony, she holds the wedding bouquet of the bride.
The matron of honour can also be witness while signing the marriage certificate in Church. However, this is optional. You can ask anybody to be the witness.
After the wedding ceremony is over, the matron of honour gathers the bridal troop for photographs.
She also sees to the car arrangements for the bridal couple to drive in and reach the wedding reception site (of course, this is only if the wedding and reception site are different).
During the Reception
At the reception site, she oversees the different wedding arrangements and ensures everything is in order.
If the bride plans to change her attire before the wedding reception, then the matron of honour assists the bride in these arrangements as well. The matron of honour also gives the matron of honour speech.
During the wedding dance, the matron of honour dances with the best man.
She, along with the bridesmaids invite guests to sign the guest book.
The matron of honour also keeps an eye on the bride throughout the reception and ensures she gets a drink or a bite or two during the reception. She also helps her with some makeup touch ups.
The matron of honour also keeps track of the gifts received at the wedding reception and stores them properly, if nobody else is assigned for the task.
After the Wedding
She ensures all the gifts are carefully assembled and sent away to the required location by car, or any other means of transport.
Helps the bride change into her going-away outfit and stores the bridal gown and other accessories neatly and safely. She also makes sure the belongings are sent safely to the bride's house.
She also reminds the bride to give the bridesmaids, flower girls and page boy their gifts.
The bride will be on cloud nine, so it's the matron of honour's duty to thanks the bridesmaids and the other members of the bridal party for their good efforts.
There are no hard and fast rules pertaining to the matron of honour duties. The above list may seem intimidating to some, however, these were some general guidelines with respect to the role of a matron of honour. The bride may delegate some responsibilities to other people, considering all this is too much for a single person to handle. The matron of honour responsibilities will vary from one bride to another. Just remember to choose somebody reliable, responsible and trustworthy as your maid of honour. All the best!
Duties of the Matron of Honour
The matron of honour is somebody who will not only help you with preparations for the wedding, but is somebody who will stand by you for every little, or major need on the wedding day. Let's have a look at the different matron of honour responsibilities before and on the wedding day.
Pre-Wedding Matron of Honour Duties
She helps the bride and groom with decisions regarding the wedding theme, wedding location, reception site and even looks into the stay arrangements for out-of-town guests.
She helps the bride find an appropriate wedding decorator, helps find a wedding cake baker and also assists in selecting the best designs for the reception site, cake, etc.
She helps the bride pick designs for the wedding invitations and get them printed. Moreover, helps the bride organize her guest list and address the invitations to all the guests.
She also helps the bride prepare the bride wedding day emergency kit and makes sure every essential item is placed in the kit.
She helps the bride with the wedding gown preparations. If the bride is getting a ready-made gown, then she helps the bride shop for it, else she goes with her to buy the gown material and also accompanies her to the designer. She also helps the bride with the purchase of other bridal accessories like shoes, tiara, jewellery, etc.
The matron of honour also helps the bride pick the bridesmaid's and flower girls' dresses. Moreover, she coordinates with the bridesmaids and informs them about the days for fitting, etc.
She helps the bride with the wedding favor arrangements and gives her valuable advice in this matter as well. She also helps pick gifts for the bridesmaids.
The matron of honour also helps the bride select wedding favors for the guests.
She also plans the bridal shower and bachelorette parties, with the help of the bridesmaids.
Organizes the wedding rehearsal and dinner rehearsal and ensures everybody involved attends it. She also handles all queries regarding the same.
She also makes appointments at a hair/beauty salon for the bridesmaids and ensures all of them get ready in time.
During the Wedding
The matron of honour makes sure the bride reaches the parlor, gets ready and reaches the church on time. She also ensures the bridesmaids are ready on time and are well aware of their respective duties.
The matron of honour should also shepherd the bridal party into the Church for the bridal march, at the appropriate time. She is to oversee the flower girls, page boys and bridesmaids. She should ensure the flower girls have their baskets, the page boy has the ring cushion, etc.
During the wedding ceremony, she holds the wedding bouquet of the bride.
The matron of honour can also be witness while signing the marriage certificate in Church. However, this is optional. You can ask anybody to be the witness.
After the wedding ceremony is over, the matron of honour gathers the bridal troop for photographs.
She also sees to the car arrangements for the bridal couple to drive in and reach the wedding reception site (of course, this is only if the wedding and reception site are different).
During the Reception
At the reception site, she oversees the different wedding arrangements and ensures everything is in order.
If the bride plans to change her attire before the wedding reception, then the matron of honour assists the bride in these arrangements as well. The matron of honour also gives the matron of honour speech.
During the wedding dance, the matron of honour dances with the best man.
She, along with the bridesmaids invite guests to sign the guest book.
The matron of honour also keeps an eye on the bride throughout the reception and ensures she gets a drink or a bite or two during the reception. She also helps her with some makeup touch ups.
The matron of honour also keeps track of the gifts received at the wedding reception and stores them properly, if nobody else is assigned for the task.
After the Wedding
She ensures all the gifts are carefully assembled and sent away to the required location by car, or any other means of transport.
Helps the bride change into her going-away outfit and stores the bridal gown and other accessories neatly and safely. She also makes sure the belongings are sent safely to the bride's house.
She also reminds the bride to give the bridesmaids, flower girls and page boy their gifts.
The bride will be on cloud nine, so it's the matron of honour's duty to thanks the bridesmaids and the other members of the bridal party for their good efforts.
There are no hard and fast rules pertaining to the matron of honour duties. The above list may seem intimidating to some, however, these were some general guidelines with respect to the role of a matron of honour. The bride may delegate some responsibilities to other people, considering all this is too much for a single person to handle. The matron of honour responsibilities will vary from one bride to another. Just remember to choose somebody reliable, responsible and trustworthy as your maid of honour. All the best!
