This exclusive group, often referred to as maids of honor and bridesmaids, is cherished because they spend special time with you before you tie the knot. They are all responsible for so many other pieces that go into planning and executing the bride's dream wedding. So it is apt that they get ready with the bride-you.
That is completely up to you, who you want with you when you get ready. Most brides have their bridesmaids and mum. Some also have friends, or grandma, and mother of the groom too.
The maid, matron, or man of honor helps the bride with all aspects of the wedding, from planning to selecting the bridesmaids' dresses. In the lead-up to the special event, they are responsible for things like attending dress fittings and planning the bachelorette party.
The maid of honour role is a special one, often viewed as the equivalent of a groom's best man. This is often the bride's closest confident, sometimes a sister or a lifelong best friend. Their main role is to offer support to the bride both in the lead-up to the wedding and on the wedding day itself.
While your bridesmaids are usually responsible for preparing and bringing an emergency kit to help with these potential issues, your wedding planner will likely have his or her own, too—and have the years of experience to calmly assist you.
She can spend a little time with both the bride and groom.
If that's the case, she may want to start her morning with the bride and her group, then leave once she has her hair and makeup done. After, she can head to the groom's getting-ready area to help him prepare for his walk down the aisle.
The maid of honor, along with the rest of the bridal party, is expected to cover all wedding attire costs. This includes the dress (plus any necessary alterations), shoes, and any jewelry you'll be wearing the day of. Occasionally, the bride will gift her bridesmaids with whatever accessories she wants them to wear.
Also referred to as a bridal concierge, personal concierge, bridal assistant, or lady in waiting, a personal attendant is a paid professional hired to take care of a bride or groom's personal needs on the morning of their wedding. They do not assist in event or vendor coordination.
On the wedding day, the maid of honor helps the bride dress and accompanies her to the ceremony. She signs the marriage license as the bride's witness, arranges her veil and train during the processional and recessional, and holds her bouquet at the altar.
The maid or matron of honor and the best man are also known as the honor attendants. Traditionally, the sister closest in age to the bride serves as the maid or matron of honor. If the bride has more than one sister, she may ask them all to be honor attendants.
According to a recent survey by The Knot, on average, parents contribute to 51% of the wedding budget, while couples cover the remaining 49% percent.
Not only does the bride's family pay for the wedding day outfit and accessories (veil, shoes, jewelry and more), but they're also responsible for the bride's wardrobe for all of the pre-wedding events (the shower, bach party, rehearsal dinner and honeymoon).
As a guide, here's a list of the expenses traditionally covered by the parents of the groom: the wedding rings, officiant's fee, marriage license, the bride's bouquet, boutonnieres and corsages for the immediate family, music (band/DJ), liquor at the reception and the honeymoon.
Assist With Day-of Dressing
"Helping the bride into her dress and placing the veil is, and will always remain, such a sweet, time-honored tradition [for the bride's mom]," says Easton.
In many traditional weddings, the father still gives away the bride. In modern weddings, however, it can be anybody. The most important consideration is that the person is someone with whom the couple trusts and feels comfortable. “I think couples should ultimately do what works for them and their family,” said Mahler.
Generally, the “something new” is a gift from the groom or one of the bride's family members. Perhaps it's a new necklace that perfectly matches her wedding dress.
The mother of the bride plays the role of hostess, meaning you should spend some time greeting guests during the reception. Although there are exceptions, other wedding-day duties may include sitting at the parents' table and dancing with the father of the bride to help warm up the dance floor.
The mother of the bride traditionally buys her own dress before the mother of the groom, and then contacts the mother of the groom to describe her dress.
The recommendations range from the fairly traditional (she can perform a reading at the ceremony or light a unity candle) to the decidedly more modern (she can be groomswoman and stand with her brother during the ceremony).
This job is usually reserved for a close friend or family member who is not a bridesmaid, but assists the bride before and during the wedding with a variety of personal duties, like transporting the dress, fielding day-of questions and making any last-minute trips.
Usually a sister, very close friend, or confidant, that the Bride can rely on. Basically, the Maid Of Honor is the assistant to the Bride. While Bridesmaids' responsibilities are to be supportive and help as needed, the Maid of Honor will help the Bride out with whatever tasks are needed.
We'd say there's a fairly solid consensus that the couple should pay for anything beauty-related for bridesmaids, like hair, makeup, tans or nails. Basically, anything that affects the way the girls look that the bride has specifically requested.
Standard etiquette dictates the person hosting the shower would be the one who pays for it. However, if multiple people are hosting the shower (or if multiple people want to contribute to the event), that's absolutely fine too.
Who Is the Maid of Honor? The maid of honor is in charge of the bachelorette party and bridal shower as well as leading the rest of the bridesmaids throughout the planning process and on the day of the wedding. Traditionally, a bride appoints a sister, female relative, or best friend as the maid of honor.