Maid of Honour duties

Written by the Toast Worthy speech team · Updated August 2026

The short answer

You're the bride's calm centre for the whole day — half organiser, half best friend — and the voice that toasts her when it counts.

In the months before

✓Plan and host the hen do around what the bride actually wants
✓Support dress shopping, fittings, and bridesmaid outfits
✓Coordinate the bridesmaids and any DIY or stationery
✓Be the bride's emotional support through the planning
✓Draft your speech early and rehearse it aloud

The morning of the wedding

✓Help the bride get ready and keep the getting-ready timeline
✓Carry the emergency kit (pins, plasters, tissues, lipstick, snacks)
✓Manage the bouquets and keep nerves in check

During the ceremony

✓Hold the bride's bouquet during the vows
✓Arrange her dress and train before she walks and at the altar
✓Sign the register if you're a witness

At the reception

✓Deliver your speech — increasingly a highlight of the day
✓Look after the bride: food, water, bathroom trips, and rescues from long conversations
✓Coordinate the bridesmaids and help the day run to plan

The one duty that gets remembered

Guests forget the seating plan and the buttonholes. They remember the speech. It's the one duty where a little preparation goes a very long way — and the one we can help with: answer a few questions about the bride and your memories, and Toast Worthy turns them into a finished, right-length maid of honour speech in minutes.

Frequently asked questions

What are the main maid of honour duties?+

Two jobs matter most: get the bride through the day calm and on time, and deliver a speech worth remembering. Everything else — the hen do, the logistics, the emergencies — supports those two.

Does the maid of honour have to give a speech?+

It's traditional and increasingly expected — and it's the part guests remember. If you do only one thing brilliantly, make it the speech.

When should you start preparing?+

Book the hen do months ahead, and start your speech a few weeks out. Last-minute preparation shows; a rehearsed speech feels effortless.

Write your maid of honour speech in minutes

Answer a few questions about the couple and your memories. Read a full draft free; unlock the finished, personalised version for $29.

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