13 Most Common Maid of Honor Mistakes
The maid of honor is the bride’s right-hand woman, and there are a bunch of responsibilities that this role will do to help celebrate the bride. While it’s clearly an honor to be named MOH, there are also some things that a maid of honor should not do. So if you’re a bride wondering, “What mistakes can a maid of honor make?” or if you’re wondering what to avoid as a maid of honor, here are the 13 most common mistakes we found:
Putting your own opinions before the bride’s.
Remember this: the bride chose you, and she didn’t have to! This is her wedding day, so her opinions and wishes deserve to be ahead of everyone else – including yours.
Not communicating with the bride.
Communication is key when it comes to honoring the bride’s requests and keeping her in the loop. We suggest not bombarding her every day with questions and details (she has a lot of other things to think about!), but sending her all of the important information in advance will ease her mind.
Not communicating with the bridesmaids.
No one likes to be left out, so it’s really important to keep the bridesmaids in the loop. Having communication with the other girls will help everyone feel more prepared when they head into the wedding festivities.
Tip: Make a group message with all of the bridesmaids to get to know one another and discuss anything and everything about the bachelorette or wedding. Keep the bride out of it so her phone isn’t blowing up, and so you can discuss any surprises you want to do!
Planning a bachelorette party with no budget.
Along with communicating with the bridesmaids, you absolutely need a budget for the bachelorette party. It’s easy to go wild and spend quickly, but it’s also important that everyone knows what to expect before they get to the party.
Not sure how much a bachelorette party should cost? We broke down everything you need to know here.
Or if you just need a tool to help you calculate the costs altogether, we got you covered too with our free budget template.
Waiting until the last minute to get your dress.
To avoid a dress that doesn’t fit right or show up on time, just do your due diligence and get your dress early. It’s one less thing to worry about, but it will surely save you (and maybe even your bride) from being stressed out.
Being unsure what their role involves.
A quick Google search will help, but you should also communicate with the bride to see what her expectations are. It never hurts to ask!
Forgetting items on the wedding day that you’re in charge of (e.g., vows, keys, get-away bags, etc.)
We’ll say it again and again. Communicate with the bride to make sure these important items get where they need to be!
Tip: If you think you could be forgetful, draft a quick checklist on your phone or a piece of paper. Write down the items, where they are to begin with, when you need to grab them, and who you need to give them to.
Taking control during the rehearsal or wedding day.
There’s no doubt that you play an important role during the wedding weekend. But you should focus on your MOH duties instead of controlling everyone else. Leave that to the coordinators!
Complaining.
We get it. There may be moments when you’re tired, your feet hurt, you’re asked to do a random task, you’re in a room with someone you don’t like, etc. Just remember that it’s your job to be the bride’s hype woman — not someone who brings down the mood on her wedding day!
And if you’re complaining, chances are that other bridesmaids will think it’s OK to join in. Skip the complaining and try to help create an environment/mood that is positive on your best friend’s day.
Filling their toast with overly embarrassing stories.
It’s your job to celebrate the bride, not to humiliate her in front of her family and friends. There’s nothing wrong with including a funny story, or maybe even an inside joke, in your toast. But make sure to leave out the embarrassment as much as you can!
Tip: Run your toast by someone else if you’re unsure about sharing a certain story.
Not preparing for last-minute emergencies (e.g., band-aids, bobby pins, etc.)
If you haven’t been in a bridal party before, you should know that there will always be someone who needs something last minute. And most of the time, it’s the bride!
Prep and pack some helpful extras for your bride, or whoever else, when an emergency comes up. It’s better to be prepared than to run around and look for an extra bobby pin!
Not being willing to help out as needed.
The bride chose and trusted you to be her MOH, and that means you should help where you can (and no, that doesn’t mean controlling other people to do tasks for you). Make sure your bride is eating and drinking throughout the day. Check-in with the parents to see if they need anything. Stay afterward to help clean.
Drinking too much.
If you can keep a couple of drinks down and maintain your composure, you’re fine. Just don’t be drunk! You know your own limits, but even if there’s an open bar, make sure you’re able to complete all of the MOH duties that are expected of you.
We hope this list will help you become the best MOH you can be for your bride! If there’s anything you would add to this list, from ideas or personal experiences, we want to hear from you. Let us know below!
