PSA: How To Be A Really, Really Good Maid Of Honour

Ready for your best friend’s wedding?

So, you’ve been asked to be the Maid of Honour at your best friend’s wedding. Unsure of what that entails exactly? I was too. So, I asked everyone I knew for advice. Friends, family, Google. Here’s the pointers I uncovered …

Be the excel master

Being an A-grade Maid of Honour is 98 percent organisation. So, make nice with excel. I sat down with my sister pre wedding and we listed out all the need-to-do’s and it went from there. Can be done with or without champagne. The latter is recommended. If you work in Google docs, you can see real time updates. Just, maybe, don’t expect people to reply.

via Instagram @carolinemccredie

Throw one hell of a hen’s party

The key to getting this right? Know (kind of) what she wants and deliver to the letter. If she wants to keep it lo-fi, then keep it that. But if she’s after something a little more extra, by all means go to town. After all, it’s a celebration. Here’s how to have a hen’s party without you-know what straws.

Have a copy of her speech

You would be surprised just how many brides lose their speech. It’s almost a right of passage. She might not want it, she might even want to wing it, but it’s always nice to have it handy. Plus, it means you get to carry a clipboard and that’s always fun.

Be SOS ready

Pack an emergency kit for the big day. Anything and everything you can think of, include it. Band-aids. Lip gloss. Tissues. Makeup. A credit card in case she changes her mind and wants to skip town. You know her better than anyone so pack accordingly. If you can, drop this off at the venue earlier. I sweet talked the bar staff into stashing mine. (Hint: stash the clipboard there too.)

Involve her friends

Even if you don’t trust them to organise everything (sometimes, it’s AOK to be a bit of a control freak) make sure everyone feels included. For example, at the hens party why not ask everyone to gift a pair of knickers completely with a special note and the bride needs to guess who each pair is from. Intimate, no?

via Instagram @twiceblessed_

Be there

… For anything she needs. And, yes, that’s absolutely anything. I had to accompany my little sister to the bathroom each and every time because her dress wasn’t made for solo missions.

Dance with all the guests

Especially the oldies. You want everyone to feel included and to have the very best of times. Some people might have come stag. Be sure to know who they are ahead of time and get them up and dancing. When you move on to your next partner, introduce them to their next. Even if it’s a slow dance.

Slay in the speech department

You want to make it a night to remember. Be sure to know your material – if you can, memorise it. Be sure to take deep breaths before you kick off and take it slowly – you don’t want anyone to miss any of your jokes. Make eye contact, too. Not just with your BFF but with those in the audience. Another trick is to involve the audience in your jokes. Simple tips like, “hands up if you remember her (insert embarrassing memory here) phase?” Make sure you always wrap it up with something heartfelt. If you play your lines right, you should have 80 percent of the room in (joyful) tears.