What Does the Maid of Honor Do?

When planning your wedding, one of the biggest decisions a bride can make is choosing who will get the coveted Maid of Honor position. But what does the Maid of Honor actually do? There are many responsibilities that a good Maid of Honor (“MOH”) will handle. The MOH is a role that, when successfully done, can take immense pressure off the bride. So when choosing who you want for the job, consider the responsibilities she will be tackling.

Pre-Wedding Party-Planner

The MOH traditionally coordinates a bridal shower or bachelorette party. She will choose the location, send out the invitations, and delegate planning tasks to your bridesmaids, such as setting up games to play, buying prizes for the winners, and providing snacks for guests.

Shopping Fashionista

Every girl needs a shopping buddy. You may want your MOH to accompany you on the mission to find the perfect wedding dress. For the bridesmaid dresses, while you certainly want to please your bridesmaids, it can be difficult to settle on a dress, if you let each bridesmaid weigh in on the decision. So, when shopping for the bridesmaid dresses, consider just taking your MOH. She can serve as a representative for the bridesmaids, so you can ensure your pick isn’t totally off base. And it will be much easier to select a dress with just a second opinion, rather than five opinions!

The MOH can assist with other purchases, as well, if needed, and even help research vendors. But if asking her to help with these planning tasks, be sure that she will keep your vision at the forefront and won’t end up planning her own wedding!

Photo from BridalGuide.com

Leader of the Pack with a Diplomatic Hand

No one ever wants to be the bad guy. But brides sometimes get a bad rap and labeled a Bridezilla for giving simple directions, like what color shoes to wear with the bridesmaid dresses. (Is it really that difficult to find taupe shoes???) A stellar MOH will step in and come to the bride's defense if a bridesmaid puts up a fuss. A simple reminder from the MOH that they are there to make your day special and less stressful should be enough to set the culprit straight. The MOH can handle tasks from reminding the bridesmaids to purchase their dresses on time to corralling the girls to ensure nobody is late to the rehearsal.

Personal Assistant

At the actual event, your MOH should be by your side both literally and figuratively. She will hold your bouquet and fix your train at the altar. She may need to help bustle your train for the reception or even just fetch a glass of champagne, if you’re looking overwhelmed. The MOH can also serve as the point of contact for your wedding coordinator, letting her know when you are on your way to the ceremony to ensure the groom is out of sight.

So, when choosing your MOH, yes, she should be a “bestie,” but also look for a few key traits to ensure she can fulfill her MOH responsibilities. Organization is key. She, in essence, will serve as a makeshift event planner to plan the bachelorette party or shower. She will need to find a location, delegate duties, and possibly book transportation. She should be dependable, so you can trust her to show up at your dress appointment on time or even find the perfect violinist, if you accidentally left booking ceremony musicians to the last minute. She should be willing to take charge while still being a team player, since she will be the leader of the bridesmaids, keeping them on task and diffusing disputes. She should be supportive, willing to listen, and always keep your likes and dislikes at heart.

The role of Maid of Honor is meant to be just that -- an honor! So choosing the right gal for the job is an important decision. Keep in mind the MOH responsibilities when making your selection, and maybe even show her this article, so she knows what’s ahead!

What tasks are you having your MOH handle? Tell us below….

*Natalie Gudel contributed to this article.

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Royal Wedding Recap

Being in the wedding industry, I couldn't resist getting up at 4 a.m. to watch the Royal Wedding live.  You certainly don't need me to give you low down on the designer of Kate's dress or the tiara that the Queen chose to lend her.  Those details are all over the web right now.  But here are some of the highlights of the big event for me:

Hats, hats, hats: Nearly all of the ladies in attendance at the ceremony wore spectacular hats.

Interestingly, the prime minister's wife, Samantha Cameron, did not wear a hat.  And the prime minister himself who claimed he was going to wear a lounge suit (a regular suit in American terms), in the end, opted for the more traditional morning suit (tails in American terms).

The dress:  No, not Kate's dress.  Pippa's dress was what struck me.  The maid of honor's dress was by Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen, but the real news is that it was white! Usually, it's a no-no for anyone at the wedding to wear white besides the bride.  But, there certainly was no upstaging this bride, and I think white was the right choice for the maid of honor.  First, her dress was a completely different silhouette than the bride's gown.  And, because Pippa was responsible for carrying the bride's train, if she had worn color, she might have stood out more and broken up the flow of the train. In this case, white worked!

The bouquet:  Kate looked gorgeous in her Sarah Burton gown with long lace sleeves and full skirt.  But what I found interesting was the size of her bouquet.  The bouquet was small and simple created by Shane Connolly.  It contained a sprig of myrtle in accordance with royal tradition, along with sweet william, hyacinth, and lily-of-the-valley.  At first glance, it seemed plain for such an elaborate affair, but it grew on me. And, ultimately, I liked the simplicity.  It allowed the dress and Kate to really shine.

The decor:  I loved that actual trees lined Westminster Abbey.  It definitely created a wow effect, and they will apparently be planted at the Prince of Wales's Highgrove estate as a reminder of the big day.

The royal wedding can hardly be deemed simple.  But if you took away the throngs of people, the royalty, the media, and the spectacular venue, you'd have classic simplicity.  The flowers, the decor, the bridesmaid dress, and the gown were all elegant yet simple -- something that has to be admired for a couple that could have it all.

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Dress Designer Spotlight: Liz Fields

Many brides dream of having a custom wedding gown made especially for their big day.  But custom wedding gowns used to be the purview of wealthy brides willing to spend a fortune.  Wedding gown designer Liz Fields puts unique, customized dresses in the reach of the masses.

Relatively new on the scene, Fields is now offering her third collection of wedding dresses in her Spring 2011 line. "It's not a cookie cutter dress," said Dawn Wolsfelt, whose bridal shop, Wolsfelt's Victorian Bridals in Aurora, Illinois, carries Liz Fields' designs. "They're traditional with a little flair."

from lizfields.com

Fields is no stranger to the wedding industry.  Her father created a database system for the special occasion industry used by such famed designers as Lefkov and Watters.  "He was always in those offices, and I was always coming and hanging out with the designers." Fields told me.

But in college she was set to take a different path, studying premed at George Washington University.  Everything changed in her junior year of college when she was offered the opportunity to work on the film, The Nomad.  After spending six months in Kazakhstan working on the film, Fields re-evaluated her career path. "Do I want to head into the office every day or do I want to travel and meet new people constantly and delve into my creativity?" Fields said. "That was a turning point."

Once back home, Fields left George Washington University and headed to the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, where she studied to become a costume designer.  After school, she worked at a bridesmaids company with her dad before launching her own line of wedding gowns and bridesmaid dresses in 2009.

"Bridal is the next best thing to costume design," Fields said.  "You don't have to be limited to realistic outfits that people wear to work.  You can play with so many more fabrics and details."

When looking for inspiration, Fields hits the books.  Rather than drawing just from fashion magazines, she looks through history books, art books, and paintings. 

"I'm a little bit of an old soul," Fields said. "I like the elegance and charm of vintage."

from lizfields.com

What really sets Fields' dresses apart is the ease of which they can be customized for individual brides. Fields offers sleeve packages, for example, where a strapless gown can be modified to have cap sleeves or a jacket.

"Today's bride always wants to switch it up," Wolsfelt said. "[Fields] will do custom changes."

Fields saw the need for custom offerings and wanted to accommodate it.  "We really can do a lot of these things without making it a huge production," Fields said.  The result is that the brides "feel like they are getting a one of a kind dress."  Thirty to Forty percent of her orders take advantage of the custom options.

One could say that Fields just has a different way of doing things.  She works on a lower markup, so her prices are affordable, yet she offers things that are normally only found in high-end couture gowns.  Her gowns include an inner elastic corset, which Fields says used to only be found in Amsale and Christos gowns.  She doesn't charge extra for plus sized bridesmaid dresses, understanding that a girl would feel uncomfortable getting charged more for a bigger size.  Her overall sizing is closer to streetwear.  She has maternity styling, petite lengths, and extra length available.  Customers can play around with colors on her web site to see in advance what a dress would look like in a different color. And if you e-mail her or post on her facebook page, you are likely to get a response from Fields herself!

"I love how brides react when they actually get a response back," Fields said.

Fields simply doesn't play it safe.  Her designs include dresses with prints, pleats, and detachable skirts.  "Every season I'm trying to offer something new -- a new print or a new fabric texture," Fields said.  

from lizfields.com

Her unique style and methods landed her a spot in NOLCHA fashion week in 2010.  Fields was the first and only bridal designer in the NOLCHA runway show.

While the runway shows are an "extremely amazing experience," Fields said her first proud moment was seeing her first bride wearing her designs and getting to attend the wedding.

"Seeing it on the models doesn't come close to seeing it on an actual bride," she said.

The best news for brides on the hunt for a unique gown is that a Liz Fields dress does not cost a fortune.  Wedding gowns cost between $650 and $1200, and bridesmaid dresses run $150 to $200.

To view the Spring 2011 collection, go to www.lizfields.com.  To contact the designer, visit her facebook page at www.facebook.com/bylizfields.


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