My sister is officially a married woman! Her wedding day was absolutely perfect, and I feel so blessed that she asked me to be a part of it.
As with all experiences, there were some very valuable lessons to take away from the event, and I wanted to share them.
Go with the flow. This was a big one for me. I will plan things out in my head, and then get disappointed when they don't happen the way that I plan. There were a few special things that I was hoping to do to show my sister how much I love her and support her, but unfortunately didn't work out. And, I had to take a deep breath, and say, oh well... this day is not about me.
Be there when the bride is getting ready. It is your responsibility to make sure the bride stays hydrated, has eaten something, and run interference if there is someone or something stressing her out. It is also your responsibility to take pictures of her getting ready. The photographer normally comes as the bride is putting on her dress. But, she might also want pictures of herself getting her hair or makeup done, and hanging with her girls before the big event. You need to be willing to help where needed, whether you expected to be doing that specific task or not.
Plan out your toast. Some people are good at making off the cuff toasts, and unfortunately, that is not me. I had to write everything out, and read it and re-read it to the point that I pretty much had it memorized. I was still so nervous though that I read right from the paper, and was shaking so bad the paper was fanning me. LOL! My sister said it was great though, and asked for a copy of the toast so she could keep it for her wedding memory album. A few things to keep in my when making your toast... remember it is a toast, and not a 10 minute speech. Keep it sweet and concise. Also, stay away from inside jokes. It's not going to be funny, unless everyone gets it.
Carry a "just in case" bag. It's my personal opinion that a good maid of honor, have a bag full of things that she thinks the bride or anyone else in the wedding party might need. Each bridesmaid can't just simply carry a purse. A lot of times there's just no where to stash one. My bag included, shout wipes, safety pins, needle and thread, scissors, gum, mints, the bride's shoes for the reception, chapstick, extra lipstick, tissues, allergy/cold medicine (I opted for Dayquil), ibuprofen, extra bobby pins, nail file, etc. Most of it won't be needed, but it will be very much appreciated if it is.
Make sure the bride has a nice handkerchief. One of the best things I did was buy a really nice handkerchief for my sister. I knew she would cry while giving her vows, and it was so much nicer to hand her a pretty, embroidered hanky, than a tissue. There are some really great, and very reasonably priced embroidered handkerchiefs on Etsy. A word of advice... If the bride doesn't normally wear any makeup, just make sure she knows to pat her tears, and not wipe them, because she'll wipe off her makeup!
No regrets. The day only happens once, so you want to make sure you think ahead and do everything you want to do. Since it was my sister's wedding, I wish I had done a better job of making the rounds and visiting with everyone since half the guests were also my family and friends. When I did make my way to see people, some of them had unfortunately already left.
As with all experiences, there were some very valuable lessons to take away from the event, and I wanted to share them.
Go with the flow. This was a big one for me. I will plan things out in my head, and then get disappointed when they don't happen the way that I plan. There were a few special things that I was hoping to do to show my sister how much I love her and support her, but unfortunately didn't work out. And, I had to take a deep breath, and say, oh well... this day is not about me.
Be there when the bride is getting ready. It is your responsibility to make sure the bride stays hydrated, has eaten something, and run interference if there is someone or something stressing her out. It is also your responsibility to take pictures of her getting ready. The photographer normally comes as the bride is putting on her dress. But, she might also want pictures of herself getting her hair or makeup done, and hanging with her girls before the big event. You need to be willing to help where needed, whether you expected to be doing that specific task or not.
Plan out your toast. Some people are good at making off the cuff toasts, and unfortunately, that is not me. I had to write everything out, and read it and re-read it to the point that I pretty much had it memorized. I was still so nervous though that I read right from the paper, and was shaking so bad the paper was fanning me. LOL! My sister said it was great though, and asked for a copy of the toast so she could keep it for her wedding memory album. A few things to keep in my when making your toast... remember it is a toast, and not a 10 minute speech. Keep it sweet and concise. Also, stay away from inside jokes. It's not going to be funny, unless everyone gets it.
Carry a "just in case" bag. It's my personal opinion that a good maid of honor, have a bag full of things that she thinks the bride or anyone else in the wedding party might need. Each bridesmaid can't just simply carry a purse. A lot of times there's just no where to stash one. My bag included, shout wipes, safety pins, needle and thread, scissors, gum, mints, the bride's shoes for the reception, chapstick, extra lipstick, tissues, allergy/cold medicine (I opted for Dayquil), ibuprofen, extra bobby pins, nail file, etc. Most of it won't be needed, but it will be very much appreciated if it is.
Make sure the bride has a nice handkerchief. One of the best things I did was buy a really nice handkerchief for my sister. I knew she would cry while giving her vows, and it was so much nicer to hand her a pretty, embroidered hanky, than a tissue. There are some really great, and very reasonably priced embroidered handkerchiefs on Etsy. A word of advice... If the bride doesn't normally wear any makeup, just make sure she knows to pat her tears, and not wipe them, because she'll wipe off her makeup!
No regrets. The day only happens once, so you want to make sure you think ahead and do everything you want to do. Since it was my sister's wedding, I wish I had done a better job of making the rounds and visiting with everyone since half the guests were also my family and friends. When I did make my way to see people, some of them had unfortunately already left.
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