Disclaimer: I have, Alhamdulillah, always enjoyed all the perks of a maid of honour at my BFFs' weddings which is why I feel that this post is necessary to highlight why she has a KEY role in the whole wedding extravaganza. 

The following list pretty much sums up all Maid-of-Honour duties! So girls, are you on track? 

Pre- Wedding Duties

1. Wing-Woman on all Shopping Trips

The MoH will accompany the Bride to give a second opinion, critique and/or approve of all wedding related shopping, from shoes to dress fittings to jewellery to the infamous dowry.

2. Find and Book the Best Photographer, Makeup Artist and Event Manager

The MoH goes through tons of social media pages to shortlist the best makeup artists, photographers, videographers, event decorators, henna artists and sometimes also the venue and caterers! Once shortlisted, she also takes charge of negotiating ideal deals to lessen the Bride's burden!

3. It's the time to (dard hai) Disco!

Whether one knows how to dance or not is irrelevant. The point is to ensure that a gazillion people are gathered every second day for dance practices and an infinite number of medleys are prepared. Everyone must take part or else... Props should be used, latest songs along with some 'old is gold' to mix things up is recommended.  #TeamBride has to outshine #TeamGroom regardless of natural dancing talent present (or absent) in both. Folk singing and dholki sessions are obsolete unless the elders of the family insist. Naach Gaana, Bhangra and Dhamaal sound like the time of your life but when it becomes a competition, things can get ugly! 

4. Transform into a punching bag to cater to the Bride's occasional (read: constant) emotional outbursts

Everything needs to be perfect, and if not, kaboom! The Bride will lose it. You can expect tears, screams, boycotts, things breaking etc. This is where the brave MoH steps in for disaster control and tries to let the Bride use her as punching bag so that she can calm down and an alternate solution be sought.  

5. Provide Comic Relief in Times of Chaos and Conflict

This one is not limited to the Bride. In fact, the ideal MoH will be available 24/7 to provide some entertainment or distraction to all family members in the event of disagreement and resultant chaos.

6. Throw a Memorable Bridal Shower/ Bachelorette Party

Depending on the Bride and the guest list, you can choose between a classy Bridal Shower with cake, decorations, music and a nostaligc slideshow or go for a Bachelorette Party which is slightly more 'haram' if I say so myself with fun games and much more. Don't forget to order a cake! 

7. Document Everything.

Everything means everything. Be it the Bride eating breakfast or napping in her bed for the last few days, the MoH must snap it or put up a live stream to ensure that it has been saved for life. (All jokes apart, the days leading up to the wedding are special and small insignificant moments make the best memories!)

8. Coordinate Event Entrances

The idea is to come up with a unique idea for the Bride to enter the venue on the wedding functions. Again, you'll need to finalize appropriate music and props and think completely out of the box. Walking under a dupatta accompanied by friends and family is so last century. Think on the lines of Cinderella's pumpkin carriage...

On The Wedding Day

1. Be the Parlour Buddy

Accompany the bride to the parlour. Be in charge of dress, jewellery, shoes. Keep giving her a thumbs up after every step the make up artist completes. Try not to butt in too much unless absolutely necessary because you have got to let them do their job! Ensure the Bride takes some food intake so she doesn't faint; after all she has a long day ahead (feed the bride on stage also irrespective of her refusals, it is for her own benefit, she will thank you later!). 

2. Inspect that Everything is as per the Bride's wishes

Before the festivities kick off, check if the decor of the venue and stage is on point, the photographer knows who and what is important, so that nothing is missed out. 

3. Group Photos Coordination

Gather everyone for stage photos and prompt all poses: pout, point at the bride/groom, crazy pose, make a heart (which often looks like a kidney).

4. Be the Bride Manager 

Remind her to sit straight whenever she begins to slouch. Tell her to smile and try to ease her stress (whispering ridiculous things to her might help). Fix her clothes if need be, her dress must look grand! 

5. HAVE FUN!

Get dressed and look kick ass yourself. Eat to your heart's content. Prance around like you're the star of the show (after the Bride of course). Pat yourself for executing everything so perfectly!




How many of these can past Maids of Honour relate to?