Angelion Insights

March 8, 2010

The Wedding Etiquette For The Main Of Honor

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , — @ 12:15 pm

Modern weddings are full of symbolic rituals and a number of key players are assigned particular assignments or titles for the wedding.

Basically, the principal players in every wedding are the bride and the groom. They are the ones who assign people to other players or symbolic titles.

The groom’s best friend and best buddy is named the best man. His counter part, the bride’s reliable maiden friend, is the maid of honor.

Why maid of honor? Because in the old wedding traditions, brides are expected to be virgins. The old and conservative world had it that virginity equals honor. Thus, maid of honors are people who help the bride retain the big V, which in the old times should be given as a primary gift to the husband.

Responsibilities given to the maid of honor

All little girls dream to brides someday. Some want to be maid of honor first before finally hitting it big to be brides.

Being maid of honor can be a fashionable experience. However, there are some responsibilities or expectations from her. The following list will enumerate 17 of the most common duties the maid of honor should hold accountable to during weddings.

1.   You should help the bride address and distribute all wedding invitations to guests. Sometimes, maid of honors are also required to attend wedding announcements.

2.   In adherence to traditional wedding etiquettes, maid of honors must try to attend to all the prenuptial parties. Of course, she should not be there during stag parties, unless she has totally gone nuts.

3.   If possible, it would be sweet if the maid of honor organize a couple’s shower for the soon-to-be bride and groom.

4.   Wedding etiquettes have it that the bride should be assisted by the maid of honor when going away to buy the wedding dress.

5.   As a sign of good breeding and professionalism, maid of honors are expected to come on time during fitting appointments and rehearsals and any other dates assigned by the bride.

6.    Deal with florists for the supply of rose petals that would shower the bride and the groom as they leave the church or the altar. The maid of honor also makes sure that the flower girl is present and knows what she will do with the flowers.

7.   On the wedding day, it is strictly written in all wedding etiquette guides that maid of honors arrive at the wedding venue, usually a church, on time or earlier so she can still assist the bride and the brides maids when they are dressing. Be at least 2 hours ahead of everyone.

8.    She should brief the best man about his responsibilities.

9.   The maid of honor, as wedding etiquettes have it, should take care of the bride’s train during the wedding and when she goes to the receiving line.

10.   The maid of honor should be kind to hold the wedding bouquet when the ceremony gets to the part when the bride and groom exchange rings. Do not, however, forget to hand back the bouquet after that part.

11.   During double ring ceremonies, which seldom happen, she should carry the groom’s ring and hand it to the officiating minister.

12.   Maid of honor follow traditions and wedding etiquettes to coordinate with the official wedding photographer and assist him in identifying the entourage. Candid shots can be ethical as long as the shots are not hilarious to put the persons involved in compromising and awkward situations.

13.   She should be the witness in the signing of the marriage certificate.

14.   The maid of honor is expected to stand with the couple in the receiving line. As a sign that she knows anything about wedding etiquettes, she should traditionally stand to the groom’s left side and the bridesmaids should stand to her left.

15.   Cooperate and coordinate with the best man, and help the bride and the groom depart, at least during certain symbolic rites in the ceremony.

16.   The maid of honor should make sure and help out see that the bride’s demands or designs suggested for her dress is executed by the tailor.

Parting words

You, the bride’s maid of honor should remember that you have a great responsibility in making sure that the wedding would be wonderful for the bride. Your own maid of honor would do the same when its time for you to be the bride. Good luck!

Learn about baby shower etiquette and dinner etiquette at the Etiquette Lessons site.

March 4, 2010

Things the Maid of Honor and Best Man Should Do

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , — @ 12:10 am

As maid of honor, you have a special role and place in the wedding.  You will insure that the bridesmaids are doing what they should and you set the tone for them.  You also should insure that the wedding fits the bride’s plans. 

Here are some of the tasks that proper wedding etiquette says that the maid of honor should perform.

-    Wedding invitations.  The maid of honor should help to address and send the invitations as well as any announcements.

-    Host the shower.  The maid of honor should throw a party in honor of the couple.  This may be the bridal shower.  They should work with others in the family for planning and executing this very important event.

-    Attend all parties and other pre nuptial events.

-    Help the bride throughout the ceremony including help with her train, the receiving line, holding the bride’s bouquet during the ceremony, witness the ceremony and sign the marriage certificate, and to carry the groom’s ring until needed, unless best man does this.

-    Help the bride to dress.  Assist in her dressing as well as with the other bridesmaids.  Help her to undress after the wedding.

-    Assist the flower girl with directions and insure she performs her role effectively.

-    Help the bride to leave the reception and to have her luggage packed for going away plans.

-    Have her wedding dress taken care of including cleaning and preserving as per the wishes of the bride.

Best Man

The best man plays a large role in the wedding as well.  Here are some of his responsibilities.

-    Provide for the marriage license.  He needs to make sure the groom has it!

-    Provide the minister’s fee to the minister.  The groom should give it to him.

-    Travel arrangements.  The best man should provide for travel arrangements to each destination.  He should also provide all the necessary help for planning a honeymoon too.

-    Gets the groom to the church.

-    Helps the groom to dress for the wedding.  He should also help the ring bearer and other groomsmen do the same.  The best man should help to insure the ring bearer is taken care of.

-    Organize and monitor groomsmen.  Insure they are where they are supposed to be on time.

-    Provide for any errands that need to be done.  The best man should coordinate with the bride’s mother and the couple to make sure that they have all that is needed.

-    Makes the first toast at the wedding reception.  He should also be the first to arrive at the reception and greets guests and the bride and groom when they arrive.

-    Acts as a host throughout the day, helping anyone that needs it.

-    Helps the groom and bride to leave with the maid of honor’s help.

-    The best man should also take the tux for himself and the groom back to the rental location.  He should take care of the cleaners if the tux is to stay with the groom.

-    Has flowers delivered for the bride and the groom on their honeymoon.

-    He also signs the marriage certificate as a witness.

Information on cubicle etiquette can be found at the Etiquette Lessons site.

March 2, 2010

The Etiquette For Choosing A Made Of Honor

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , — @ 11:55 am

The task of selecting the Maid of Honor is one of the most difficult decisions that has to be made by the bride. The complexity is due to the fact that the duties of the Maid are normally not defined and typically poorly addressed. Every bride actually has her own opinion on what how a Maid of Honor should act. However, communicating these ideas are difficult.

The Main of Honor is commonly perceived as a ceremonial figure that walks behind the bride down the aisle before the bridesmaids. In another light, the Maid of Honor can act, as the one that will help calm a nervous bride, helps in sending out invitations, making sure the registry is properly sent, gives tips on the how the wedding gown should look like and acts as the manager of the bridesmaids.

The Maid of Honor can also host the bridal shower or the bachelorette party. To sum it up, the Maid of Honor is the bride’s closest friend or ally in preparing for the wedding and will always be there during times of need and frustration.

The following are certain etiquette in choosing a Maid of Honor to help minimize stress and maximize pleasure.

The Maid of Honor does not have to be a family member.

It is not a requirement to make a sister or a female cousin the Maid of Honor. A best friend who has been there through thick and thin will likely deserve this distinction.

The bride should instruct the Maid of Honor on her responsibilities.

Brides should communicate what they expect from the Maid of Honor such as making a speech during the reception. Open communication between the two should happen frequently.

Choosing more than one Maid of Honor is not illegal.

The bride should make sure that Maids of Honor have different responsibilities in order to avoid jealousy between them.

The Maid of Honor needs to attend all-wedding activities such as showers and parties for the bride. She will also be tasked to plan and be financially responsible for any bachelorette party and assist in organizing invitations and always be open for favors.

The Maid of Honor’s emotional support is one her integral responsibilities. As the so-called “maid” she is expected to give her full attention to the bride during the wedding day. She should also make sure that the bride is looking almost perfect before they troop down the aisle and constantly check on her condition during the middle and end of the ceremonies up until the start of the reception.

Upon choosing the Maid of Honor, she should be treated out by the bride to a nice dinner or spa to make her feel she is a very important part of the wedding. The Maid of Honor could have a dress designed differently from the other bridesmaids to make her stand out in the entourage.

Etiquette also dictates that the Maid of Honor will wear the groom’s ring on her finger in the absence of a ring bearer. She is also part of the group that will decorate the bridal car and help the bride in wearing the bridal dress.

A wedding ceremony adhered to certain etiquette to make the occasion flow seamlessly and orderly.

- In a semi-private wedding, groomsmen and bridesmaids are given certain responsibilities in helping the bride and groom during the wedding day.

- The bridesmaids should be younger than the bride and their dresses should match. Bridesmaid dresses can include more ornaments and should be composed of light and graceful material. Flowers should functions as the chief decoration.

- The wedding dress should be simple but can be attached with small jewels or ornaments. The garland and veil should be the most eye-catching.

- Bridesmaids should stay at the bride’s left side during the actual wedding ceremony. The first bridesmaid should hold the bouquet and gloves.

- Bridesmaids can be positioned from the shortest to the tallest in order to be symmetrical. A bridesmaid and groomsman with similar height can be paired.

- The groomsmen are assigned to guide the clergyman and then show him to the couple. The groomsmen should stand at the groom’s right side during the wedding ceremony.

Information on american flag etiquette can be found at the Etiquette Lessons site.

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