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Resources Resources for the Maid of Honor Information List of Maid of Honor Responsibilities Maid of Honor FAQ Male Maid of Honor Why I loved being a Maid of Honor Wedding Day Checklist Understanding Bride Stress Get an Attractive Bridesmaid Dress Tips for ordering Bridesmaid Dresses Cheaper Maid of Honor Dress Alterations Maid of Honor and Bridesmaid Conflict Pregnant Maid of Honor Wedding Who's Who for the Maid of Honor Maid of Honor's Guide to Wedding Shoes Maid of Honor's Advice for the Bride What the Maid of Honor Should Wear How to Be a Better Maid of Honor What the Maid of Honor Should Give the Bride Meeting Someone at a Wedding Maid of Honor's Budget Maid of Honor Dress Alteration Checklist Transporting your Maid of Honor Dress What to do at the end of the Reception What if you don't like the Groom? Long Distance Maid of Honor Maid vs. Matron vs. Man of Honor What to do with your old Bridesmaid Dress Looking better in the Wedding Pictures Maid of Honor in the Receiving Line Saying No to being Maid of Honor Is the Bride asking too much of you? Maid of Honor Timeline Top Wedding Chick Flicks Wedding Dress Info for the Maid of Honor Wedding Night Surprise for the Bride Speeches and Toasts Maid of Honor Speech FAQ How to write a Maid of Honor speech Other ways to give a Maid of Honor speech Why to give a Maid of Honor speech How to buy a Maid of Honor Speech Maid of Honor Toast: How to Write Practice Maid of Honor Speech Topics to Avoid in the Maid of Honor Speech Last Minute Maid of Honor Speech Tips Event Planning Planning a Bridal Shower Bridal Shower Structure: Main Events Bridal Shower Themes Bridal Shower Favors Jack and Jill Bridal Shower Bridal Shower: Things to Remember Two Fun Bridal Shower Activities Making a Bridal Shower Scrapbook Bridal Shower Food Suggestions Bridal Shower Invitations Bridal Shower Weekend Ideas Bridal Shower Activity: Bride Quiz! Bridal Shower Events Bridal Shower Gift Themes Bridal Shower Superstitions Who to Invite to the Pre-Wedding Events Cocktails for the Shower or Bachelorette Planning a Bachelorette Party How to Fund a Bachelorette Party Local vs. overnight Bachelorette Party Bachelorette Party Ideas Co-ed Bachelorette Party Accessories for the Bachelorette Party Cure Bachelorette Party Hangovers Renting a Limo for the Bachelorette Party Maid of Honor's Role at the Bachelorette Bachelorette Party Scavenger Hunts Las Vegas Bachelorette Parties

Wedding Dress

What the Maid of Honor Needs to Know about the Bride's Wedding Dress: Fluffing, Bustles, and Bathroom Duty

While as Maid of Honor you have your own dress to worry about, you still need to be attentive to certain aspects of the Bride's wedding dress. At various points in the wedding the Maid of Honor will be needed to help the Bride get into her gown, smooth the train, bustle the train, adjust or remove the veil, and, of course, help the Bride use the restroom! With the elaborate (read large) quality of some of the most popular wedding dresses these days, here is a quick tutorial for the Maid of Honor of what will be expected of her and how to do it.

Before and During the Wedding Ceremony

As the Bride is getting ready for the wedding ceremony she will undoubtedly need help getting into her dress. It's best to wait until the last minute to actually put the dress on so that it has less chance to wrinkle or get dirty. For silk or satin wedding dresses, I would suggest that the Maid of Honor have some scotch tape on hand. It may sound weird, but scotch tape can often pull up small stains on fragile fabrics (and soap and water is most likely a bad idea!).

Many wedding dresses, to the Bride's delight and the Maid of Honor's horror, lace all the way up the back. This is traditional, aesthetically pleasing, and a big pain! With some patience and the help of another Bridesmaid or the Mother of the Bride, you shouldn't have too much trouble with it.

Once the ceremony starts and the Bride makes it down the aisle to stand beside her Groom, the Maid of Honor should briefly step out of line to "fluff" the Bride's train. Simply grab the end of the train and shake it like you would a bed sheet that you're trying to fold with one quick shake. Then lay it flat and smooth on the ground. The Bride may also appreciate it if you step in to repeat the process during the picture taking following the ceremony.

After the Ceremony and During the Wedding Reception

After the wedding ceremony is over, the Maid of Honor will be called upon to bustle the Bride's dress and adjust or remove her veil. When the Bride is having her last wedding dress fitting, it's a good idea for you to go with her so that the dress alterer can show you how to form the dress's bustle. The purpose of the bustle is to lift up the wedding dress's train so that the Bride can move about more freely during the reception. At this stage, the Bride may also want you to either adjust the veil (so that it's no longer in her eyes) or remove it altogether. This should all be decided and practiced ahead of time.

Finally, the Maid of Honor should be available during the wedding reception to accompany the Bride to the bathroom when necessary. Wedding dresses are quite unmanageable by oneself! You will either have to hold the dress up and look away, or (in the cases of particularly cumbersome dresses or shy Brides) just carefully remove the dress while the Bride uses the restroom and help her put it back on afterward.

The Bride may ask the Maid of Honor to help her change out of the dress as well. Frankly, I think it's a lot more fun for the Groom to do this, but what do I know? ;-)



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