You are planning to get married and you know you need a Matron of Honour at your wedding but are not sure what it is she should be doing. Read this article for a quick overview of the origin of the Matron of Honour and the main activities associated with this role at weddings.
The term maid of honour was initially used in the UK for the Queen’s female attendant. Bridesmaids are the bride’s attendants per se and the term Matron of Honour was introduced to describe a chief bridesmaid who is already married of mature age. American English led to the chief bridesmaid being called the Maid of Honour. The bride will usually choose her closest friend or sister to be Matron of Honor.
Roman law is said to have given rise to the concept of the bridesmaid because it required ten witnesses at a wedding ceremony to send the evil spirits packing! The role has progressed quite a bit from those days to the present day where the Matron of Honour performs quite a few duties for the bride. She is heavily involved in the discussions and planning for the wedding.
Some of the duties that form part of the Matron of Honour’s role may include:
· Tradition dictates that the Matron of Honour plans and hosts the bridal shower or hen party; she sends out invitations, arranges catering, games and activities and generally oversees the entire celebration. She will also keep a record of all the gifts the bride receives.
· Coordination of the wedding rehearsal and rehearsal dinner is done by the Matron of Honour if the bride is responsible for the proceedings. She helps with choosing the venue, seating and catering arrangements, sending out invitations and overseeing the occasion.
· During the wedding the Matron of Honour stands right by the bride, taking care of things, arranging the train, help with the dressing, acts as official witness, hold the bride’s bouquet when necessary and more.
· At the reception, the Matron of Honour will help oversee the decorating of the venue, making sure everything has been set up correctly, seating and name tags are done and gifts received get recorded.
The Matron of Honour can be given other duties by the bride and this really differs from person to person.
We love writing about weddings and the history of weddings in our articles. Check out our main site at Boutique To You for more articles and tips on wedding planning and bridesmaid gifts.
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