Maid of Honor Duties
By Samantha Taylor

Being chosen as a maid of honor is a great privilege, but it also requires a large number of responsibilities in the wedding planning process. The maid of honor will likely be spending a great deal of time with the best man, since their duties are often the same and require them to work hand-in-hand in order for the wedding to be a success. Once you have dealt with the excitement of being part of the wedding party and of wearing a great dress, it’s time to start planning immediately. Here is a list of common duties the maid of honor must fulfill:

1. It is the maid of honor’s responsibility to shop with the bride and attend all dress fittings. The maid of honor may want to help the bridesmaids shop for their dresses as well.

If you are a first-time maid of honor and need help planning there are many people who would be eager to help out starting with the bride’s mom or the bridesmaids. There are also a number of Internet resources to assist you with bridal planning and ideas.

The maid of honor has many responsibilities, but it’s important to remember that the bride would not have chosen you if she didn’t think you were capable of fulfilling these obligations.

Samantha Taylor spent several years working in the weddings industry as a wedding planner. When she isn’t being a mom of two wonderful children, she works as a freelance writer for http://www.yourwedding101.com – a site that offers information about everything wedding related – from hosting a wedding reception to wedding speeches and more.

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Give A Great Maid Of Honor Speech
By Angel Delacruz

The maid of honor speech is one of the things to look forward to in a wedding. Usually, the maid of honor is the bride’s sister or best friend, and it’s always great to hear her talk about her relationship with the bride. If you are chosen to be the maid of honor, don’t be nervous. You should be proud because you get to tell everybody a story about how you know the bride, and if you do a good job, your words will be remembered by a lot of people.

You can write your own maid of honor speech, if you want. If you’re the type of person who has a way with words and who loves to write, then by all means, write your own speech. This way, you get to choose your own words and you get to write from the heart. If you’re not so much into writing, you can let someone else do it for you. Just come up with the speech way in advance so you still have time to edit it out before the wedding day.

So what exactly are the contents of the maid of honor speech? First off, you will want to introduce yourself to the audience. You can talk about how you know the bride, how you were chosen, just a few starting points. Then from there, you can start thanking a bunch of people and then maybe you can go to a more detailed or personal story that highlights your relationship with the bride. Then finally, finish off your speech by toasting the newlyweds.

Once you’ve finished writing the speech, you’re ready to go. Those who don’t have a problem with public speaking will find it an easy thing to do. But for some people, especially those who get so nervous in front of people, it’s not an easy feat. Just remember to keep it simple, and bear in mind that these people are not going to eat you alive. They’re just there to listen to what you have to say, and it’s okay to make a mistake. Just keep it casual and don’t forget to inject a little humor into your speech. Once you hear the audience laughing, this should help calm your nerves a bit.

Practice your speech well beforehand, you wouldn’t want to read it directly from the paper or it may sound too memorized. You may glance from time to time, but don’t read the whole time! It may help to just keep a few highlight points in mind, and then just elaborate from there. Aim to sound more natural and heartfelt, after all, this is personal for you.

You should be honored to be chosen the maid of honor, because it just means your special to the bride. And giving a great speech will make it an even more special experience, not just for you but for the bride and the rest of the attendants as well. Your words will not only touch the bride’s heart and the people listening, it will also be one of the most memorable parts of the wedding. So give that amazing speech, girl, you can do it!

The author is an independent writer and has written articles about personalized bridesmaids bags. Gifts like engravable compact mirrors are a great way to show thanks and appreciation for your maid of honor.

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Beautiful Maid Of Honor Gifts
By Angel Delacruz

Your maid of honor is an important person who’s going to be there to support you on your wedding day. She does so much for you: from planning your bridal shower, to assisting you during your wedding, she’s a great friend and she consented to be your helping maid for the day. Show her your appreciation and affection by selecting just the right maid of honor gift.

Personalized Compact Flask – Holds your favorite beverage. The colorful body of the flask comes in pink, yellow, red, orange, green and blue, while the shining silver screw top is easy to open. Everyone in your wedding party will love these fun flasks, which can be personalized with up to two lines to 15 characters for free. Your maid of honor will adore the bright vibrant colors with polished silver trim. Keep the party going with this stylish gift.

My Maids and Me Twill Photo Frame – Your maid of honor will appreciate a “My Maids and Me” Twill Photo Frame along with a print of her and two or three of your other bridesmaids together. The rectangle frame is padded and covered with a milk chocolate brown twill fabric and edged at the bottom by a pink ribbon. The ribbon is embroidered with “My Maids and Me” in a flowery script. Buy one for each of your bridesmaids for a personal Thank You gift.

Aubrey Quilted Jewelry Roll – The Aubrey Quilted Jewelry Roll makes most of the quilted fabric trend. The xxx fabric jewelry roll has been traditionally quilted to add texture and interest and is available in vivid fuschia or midnight black. The envelope opening allows large pieces to be tucked inside while the three zippered pockets feature transparent vinyl so you can see the jewelry hidden inside. The whole package rolls into a tube and ties shut with a matching fabric tie.

Pink Leather Rollout Travel Clock with Crystals – This sweet pink leather suitcase holds the gift of time. Inside the pink leather exterior is the Rollout Travel Clock studded with Crystals. Let your maid of honor know that you appreciate the time the two of you have spent together with this thoughtful gift. The supple pink leather is top-stitched and protects the small clock while traveling.

Personalized Deluxe Lady Travel Shaver Kit – A great gift for a maid of honor – or just for a bridesmaid who loves to travel – this travel kit with shaver comes fully stocked with all the hardware she needs for a little time away. She can bring this on a romantic getaway for two or a fun-filled girls’ weekend escape. She’ll have nail and toenail clippers, scissors, a nail file, a two-way cuticle pusher, tweezers, a toothbrush, and a brush/shoe horn combo.

Personalize Travel Mug – This travel mug is protected by a clear acrylic exterior. The inside of the mug is lined with stainless steel to keep your drinks at just the right temperature, while the push lid with rubber ring prevents those nasty spills. These gifts will be a pretty and practical addition to your bridal shower, and a great gift for your maid of honor.

Personalized Ladies Ribbed Tank Top – These tank tops are a smart choice for those hot summer bachelorette parties or bridal showers or simply as a gift to your maid of honor. She will stay extra cool in these 100% cotton sleeveless tanks. The Personalized Ladies Ribbed Tank Tops are a hot way to stay cool during your summer wedding events.

Finding just the right gift can be tricky and challenging, but it’s definitely worth it. Get your maid of honor a beautiful gift that will make her smile.

The author is an independent writer and has written articles about maid of honor gifts. Gifts like personalized tote bags are a great way to show thanks and appreciation for your maid of honor.

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Take Your Best Man Or Maid of Honor Toast Speech to That Next Level With These Tips
By Matthew Miller

We all get stressed out when we learn we have to give a speech. No matter the magnitude of the occasion, any form of public speaking is downright intimidating.

Weddings, however, tend to cause some serious heartburn. Think about it. During a wedding toast, you will be expected to give a heart-felt talk about the bride and/or groom, mixing in a funny story to two, before concluding with a classy toast. During a business speech, you’re usually standing before people you do not know, talking about facts and statistics and bottom lines. It’s far more impersonal.

But the wedding toast doesn’t have to be so scary. With a deep breath and a plan for action, you can be on your way to delivering a successful speech in no time.

Start with these key steps:

1. Brainstorm. Figure out what you want to say. Think of a short story or two that you’d like to tell about the couple. It is considered perfectly fine for these to be funny but they should never, under any circumstances, embarrass anyone. Just jot down any notes you can think of.

2. Decide how long do you want you speech to last. If you are delivering a best man toast or maid of honor toast speech, proper toast etiquette dictates you speak between 3-5 minutes. For groomsmen and bridesmaid toasts they should be anywhere from 1-2 minutes. Now, with this time frame you’ve settled on in mind, go back over your previous notes and cut (or add) stories, anecdotes, offerings of advice, etc to make your general toast fit in the time frame you’ve settled on.

3. Begin structuring the speech. With your notes of what you will be saying in hand, look and see how you want to start the toast. Many professionals recommend starting with either a joke or funny story as it lightens the mood and in many cases settles down the speaker. Try and figure out what the “meat” of you toast will be. How will you end it?

These can certainly be difficult things to figure out, especially if you’ve never delivered a wedding toast before.

Fortunately, there is a free website that can help you. At http://www.ToastEtiquette.com, you will find tips, resources, and a list of the internet’s best websites that devote themselves to the wedding toast speech. No matter your role in the wedding – maid of honor, best man, bridesmaid, groomsman, Father of the Bride, master of ceremonies – you will be able to find a great site that can help you structure, complete, and ultimately deliver a fantastic wedding toast that the bride and groom will never forget!

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Concerned Over Maid of Honor Toasts Or Toast Etiquette? We’re Here to Help
By Matthew Miller

When you’re the maid (or matron) of honor, you’ve certainly got a lot on your plate.

You’ve got to plan the bachelorette party and the bridal shower. You’ve got to make sure everything runs smoothly for the bride during the anxious hours before the big ceremony. You’ve got to make sure the other bridesmaids are in the right place at the right times and they’re wearing the proper attire for each occasion and function. And if that’s not enough, you have to stand in front of everyone and deliver a heart-felt toast that lets everyone know just what you think of the bride and the man she is marrying!

But how do you construct and ultimately deliver such a speech? Merely asking advice won’t get you very far. Sure others have done it before, but you’ll inevitably get the common “you’ll be fine” and “just relax and go slow” tips that, well, don’t really help.

The good news is the local bookstore will surely have books on public speaking and giving a proper wedding toast will surely be covered in etiquette books. The bad news is such books will cost in excess of $50, as hardcover book prices continue to climb.

The best bet is the internet. You have thousands of resources at your fingertips. But how do you sift through the countless e-books, manuals and other programs that are out there? Where can you find hundreds of maid of honor toast templates that will help you to structure a successful toast? Where will you find the right advice on what to say, where to stand, who to thank?

If you are committed to delivering a successful wedding toast then check out http://www.ToastEtiquette.com – where you will find great resources that will help get you on your way to constructing that successful maid of honor toast.

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