Bridesmaid Duties the Day of the Wedding

Along with the many responsibilities prior to the wedding, there are a bevy of tasks that bridesmaids should take care of on the actual day the bride says “I do.” The bride is going to be stressing, so make sure you keep everything smooth sailing for her by adhering to these bridesmaid duties the day of the wedding:

Get your hair and makeup done by the professional of the bride’s choosing. Don’t try to cut costs by doing it yourself or having someone else do it unless the bride wants you to do so. You may get lucky and have a bride that pays for it for you, but the payment responsibility is on bridesmaids for this.

Make sure the bride eats. Grab food for her because she won’t want to eat and won’t have time to get it for herself. Be sure to also eat something yourself!

Stay sober until the reception. It’s okay to have a glass of champagne to celebrate, but save the heavy drinks until the party. You’ll need to be ready in case the bride needs assistance with something, and you’ve still got to make it through the ceremony and photos.

Help the bride into her gown. The mother of the bride and Maid of Honor may have this covered, but most bodices need several hands on deck to get the zipper up.

Offer to help the bride go to the bathroom. Carrying all of that fabric makes it very difficult to use the restroom, so offer to assist her if she needs it.

Smile as you’re walking down the aisle. Some people get nervous when they’re walking down and it shows on their faces. Be sure to show how excited you are for the wedding- the guests and the photographer will be watching.

Stand up with the bridal party at the altar. Your feet aren’t going to like it very much, so be sure to break your shoes in beforehand and use foot relief inserts.

Be a good sport for the photos. Sometimes it might feel like you’re doing something stupid, but take one for the team and do it with a smile. Most of the time when you’re doing something that seems silly or awkward, it actually makes for a great photograph.

Get on the dance floor. The bridesmaids’ main job at the reception is to keep the party going and get people dancing. No one wants to go out to an empty dance floor, so the bridesmaids should be the first people out there.

Give a gift. Yes, you’ve done a lot for your friend and spent a ton of money already, but you still have to give a gift. They’ll return all the favors when it’s your turn at the altar.

Be on time. Try to get everywhere you’re supposed to be a few minutes early. It’ll take a load off of the bride’s mind.

Maid of Honor Duties on the Day of the Wedding

As the ringleader of the bridesmaids, the Maid of Honor duties for the day of the wedding include all of the above, plus:

Be the main point of contact. Your phone should be on and by your side until it’s time to walk down the aisle. If there’s an issue with any of the vendors or deliveries, they should be contacting you and you can relay information to the bride.

Sign the marriage certificate. The bride may sign the marriage certificate before or after the ceremony, and after she signs, you’ll sign as a witness.

Fluff the bride’s train before walking down the aisle. You’ll be the last bridesmaid in line before the bride walks down the aisle, so make sure her train is laying flat and straight behind her before stepping out.

Hold the bride’s bouquet and the groom’s ring during the ceremony. The bride will be joining hands with her groom, so she’ll need to hand off her flowers. The best place to keep the ring is on your thumb until the bride needs it.

Bustle the bride’s dress after the ceremony. You’ll want to go with the bride to her final fitting so the seamstress can show you exactly how to bustle the train and you can practice doing it ahead of time.

Give a toast at the reception. This is not something you should wing; you can go heartwarming or funny, but either way it should be thoughtful and personal.

Bring a little something extra to the day. Little things like bringing the bride a card talking about how excited you are or bringing champagne and orange juice for mimosas will show her how much you love her and support her as she takes the plunge.