“The Maid of Honor refers to a bride's honor attendant who is NOT married. The Matron of Honor refers to one who is married. Honor attendants are usually a best friend or sister.
A matron of honor is anyone who occupies the same role and fulfills the same duties as a maid of honor, but has already had a wedding of their own. The title holds the same rank as "maid of honor" does in a wedding party. A maid of honor, on the other hand, is someone who is unmarried.
A maid of honour and bridesmaid are both important roles, but typically the maid of honour has more responsibilities than a bridesmaid. A bridesmaid is only expected to attend the wedding and assist on the big day, whereas the maid of honour is an integral part in the lead up to and planning of the wedding day as well.
Who Is the Maid of Honor? The maid of honor is in charge of the bachelorette party and bridal shower as well as leading the rest of the bridesmaids throughout the planning process and on the day of the wedding. Traditionally, a bride appoints a sister, female relative, or best friend as the maid of honor.
The maid of honor, along with the rest of the bridal party, is expected to cover all wedding attire costs. This includes the dress (plus any necessary alterations), shoes, and any jewelry you'll be wearing the day of. Occasionally, the bride will gift her bridesmaids with whatever accessories she wants them to wear.
The bride pays for hair and makeup services as a gift to all of her maids, with either the bride or the maids tipping the hair and makeup artists. 2. The bride provides a hair and makeup artist, but the maids pay all costs involved.
Does the maid of honor get the bride a gift? Generally speaking, yes. Giving gifts is customary for the wedding party.
The maid of honour is traditionally chosen by the bride's sister or the closest female friend. If this is impossible, the bride may select a trusted friend or relative to serve as her maid of honour and assist her with wedding preparations. Be sure the person you choose to be your maid of honour can handle the role.
The Maid or Matron of Honor: The maid or matron of honor will walk alone after other bridal party members. The Flower Girl(s) and/or Ring Bearer(s): The children chosen will walk down the aisle one after the other. They can sit with their parents once they are done.
Does the maid of honor have to give a speech? It's expected for a maid of honor to give a speech, especially if the other honor attendants are planning on giving one, but it's not required. Giving a maid of honor speech can be a fun experience, but it isn't for everyone.
What Is a Matron of Honor? A matron of honor is essentially the HBIC (head bridesmaid in charge). The truth is, it's no different than being the maid of honor. The only distinction is that a matron of honor is a married woman.
Can I Have Two Maids of Honor? The answer is yes! Not only is having two maids of honor acceptable per modern wedding etiquette, but it's also a savvy move when it comes to the logistics of preparing for your big day.
Answer: It's less traditional for the maid or matron of honor to walk down the aisle with the best man, but there's no rule against it.
Usually she is dressed the same as the bridesmaids, although some brides will reflect her status with a different colour, piece of jewellery or slightly different dress design. Note that if she is married, the correct term is matron of honour.
"Can My Daughter Be My Maid of Honor?" Younger children usually fill the role of the flower girl or junior bridesmaid, but if the child in question is your own daughter, by all means, make her the maid of honor.
Can a married woman still be a maid of honor? Yes, it is very common for a married woman to still have the title of “Maid of Honor” since that is the most commonly used term for the lead role of the bridal party.
The best man follows the bridesmaids and groomsmen and can walk down alone or with the maid of honor. He may also be the ring bearer for some weddings, and will stand next to the groom at the altar.
How long should a maid of honor speech be? A maid of honor speech typically only needs to be a few minutes long. Aim for 2-3 minutes, and it shouldn't be longer than five minutes maximum.
From walking down the aisle first to last, the traditional order is: Mother of Bride, Mother of Groom, Grandparents of Bride, Grandparents of Groom, Groom, Officiant, the Wedding Party, Maid of Honor and Best Man, Ring Bearer, Flower Girl and lastly the Bride and her Father.
Typically, the maid of honor pays for smaller-ticket items, like a bachelorette sash or tiara, decorations, and swag for the other party guests. If you, as the bride, don't want to pay for these smaller items, our advice is to give your friends space to take the reins.
The position of maid of honor today is usually reserved for the bride's closest confidante, the friend who will organize the bachelorette party, the bridal shower, and other pre-ceremony events and be at the bride's right hand through the ceremony.
Your Maid of Honor Options
Contenders for your maid of honor can be absolutely anyone you're close to and want to honor on your special day. As far as family, sisters and cousins make excellent candidates, but you are not obligated to give the honor to someone you're related to.
Standard etiquette dictates the person hosting the shower would be the one who pays for it. However, if multiple people are hosting the shower (or if multiple people want to contribute to the event), that's absolutely fine too.
Generally speaking, bridesmaids are expected to pay for their own dresses and accessories as well as potentially hair and makeup appointments and transportation to the wedding. According to Gottsman, bridesmaids should be prepared to cover the costs for these expenses once they accept the offer.
Who gives the mother of the bride a gift? Regardless of who is paying for the wedding, it's customary for the couple to give both sets of parents something special—including the mother of the bride.