What does a chief bridesmaid/matron of honour do?

shirlyn

Does anye one know thare role?

And do they pay for there own outfit of does the bride?

Tondella

try this

http://www.confetti.co.uk/weddings/advice_ideas/roles/bridesmaid/default.asp

for starters.

As for paying for dresses, it's an American tradition to ask the bridesmaid to buy their own dress, although many Brits are now catching on to the idea too. I will be a bridesmaid this weekend and none of us paid for our outfits, likewise when i get married this year I will be buying my bridesmaid's outfit.

I think a reasonable rule of thumb is:
Bride pays and gets to a) pick dress, colour etc and b) keep/sell outfit at the end to recoup some costs

Bridesmaid pays and gets a) some reasonable input into what she wears/pays and b) keeps/sells the outfit at the end

It's worth getting these details straight from the start I reckon, to save on hassle in the long run.

$17mma

The general rule is to be her lady in waiting and ensure the day goes as smoothly as it can for her.

Found this from a site..

The Role of the Chief Bridesmaid
The role of the chief bridesmaid is basically to help, advise and support the bride both during the planning of the wedding to the actual ceremony, always being on hand to listen and to chat, no matter what the hour!
Traditionally, she will organise the Hen Night and will gather together all the friends requested by the bride. If the bride has chosen to go to a show or theatre, or a plush restaurant, the chief bridesmaid can request that the bride's name be mentioned as a surprise. Whatever is arranged, take care to implement the wishes of the bride. Pub, theatre, restaurant or club, make sure you enjoy the experience!
[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The chief bridesmaid can be either a sister, relative or friend, chosen with care. She should have a great sense of humour and be able to keep her cool when the pace gets a bit hectic. She must be able to give advice without giving orders! After all, it is the bride's big day and her wishes are paramount. She will be responsible on the day itself to attend to the bride and to control the smaller bridesmaids and page boys. She will be in charge of the bridal bouquet during the ceremony[/font].
[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]She will be expected to be involved in the choosing and fittings of the bridal gown together with the mother of the bride. Probably she will go on endless visits to bridal shops, department stores, shoe shops, help with cosmetics and the hair and beauty regime. She will probably be asked to join in! Her dress will be chosen by the bride, both the colour and the style and she must wear it with a good grace, even if normally she would never wear such a design or colour. The bride will of course take into account the natural choice of her friend and the outcome is usually fantastic.[/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]On the Wedding Day
[/font][/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The chief bridesmaid will be expected to arrive at the bride's house to help her prepare and dress.
Even if the bride's mother is helping her daughter dress, the chief bridesmaid will be on hand supplying cups of tea or coffee, if not something stronger, answering the phone, ensuring the delivery of the flowers, liasing with the best man, and as always, providing comfort and advice for the bride.
She must either arrive already dressed for the occasion, or bring all the necessary items to dress at the home of the bride.
She will leave for the church before both the bride and the father of the bride.
Once at the church or venue, she will wait until the arrival of the bride, ready to walk behind her down the aisle.
She will organise and look after the smaller bridesmaids and page boys, if applicable. Should the bridal train be a long one, she will help to ensure it is lifted and kept clear of the ground.
She must take charge of the bridqal bouquet during the service and hand it back to the bride when she is ready to walk in the bridal procession out of the church.
She must keep herself available for photographs to be taken, which can take quite a while and all the time ensure the young attendants are behaving!
Above all, she must be supportive of the bride and keep calm.
During the reception, she will be able to relax at last and enjoy the food, drink and entertainment[/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]. It is usual for the chief bridesmaid to dance with the best man in the evening, following the bride and groom onto the dance floor.[/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Enjoy the day!


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funky-footprints

ive been bridgesmaid 6 times .. galore !! the last time i was chief bridesmaid !! i have never paid for my bridesmaid dress and quite honestly at my wedding I never asked my bridesmaids to pay for thier dresses, i guess i was lucky my parents paid for it all at my bash, and likewise everytime i have been bridesmaid.

i kept all 6 dresses and my bridesmaids kept theres, I have never heard of asking for them back ? ? ? but most of them (my wedding dress and bridesmaids were handmade) they were made differently for each bridesmaid but with the same material, so what use would they of been to anyone else ? ?

I have heard of someone hiring everything ? i mean its very rare to ever use a bridesmaid dress again ?

i orgainsed my best mates hen doo, ah .... she met her bloke at my wedding party !! at my wedding she carried my lipstick in her beer money bag and a spare tissue incase of tears !!, at her wedding i was excused from carrying anything as i was 7 months pg ! looked a well slim bridesmaid .. not !!!!

Gingham_Ribbon

Mine made a beautiful speech. Can't see any reason why it should be all up to the men.

She also drove my car for me which had me and my dad on the way to the church and me and my husband on the way to the reception.

Quackers

I did a reading at my best friends wedding last year.

I also made sure there was 4 large Vodka's waiting at the bar for me, other bridesmaid, bride and Dad when we arrived at the hotel. She got married at the hotel and we had a luverly drink just before she got married

Priorities

Aaaahhhhh, happy memories - such a fab day

Lillibet_2

Other duties include keeping an eye on the brides make up, especially for the photos; making sure no one important gets too merry before the speeches; assisting best man in bedecking the going away car/first night bed in toilet paper/tin cans/confetti etc, and..................

Most important task above all others is to ensure the brides dress does not get tucked into her knickers at any point:D

Never heard of asking for the bridesmaids dresses back, thought keeping them was a perk of the job Between you who pays for them but the more the bridesmaids pay the more imput they should have into what they are wearing. It used to be tradition that the bridesmaids bought & paid for their own choice of shoes but more & more often these days it seems that the bride buys all the bridesmaids the same matching style shoes which they also get to keep. Never seen the point in thias myself, who looks a the bridesmaids shoes unless it's a style so uncomfortable they can't walk in them? Surely better (and cheaper) to let them supply something suitable themselves?

Becles

At my first wedding, we paid for hired dresses for the bridesmaids, and paid for the posies and headpieces which the bridesmaids kept afterwards. I did ask them to buy their own shoes for comfort, but they had the final choice so they could wear them afterwards.

I'm getting married again in April and will have 1 young bridesmaid. I'm planning on paying for her dress, shoes and headpiece, then letting her keep them after the day. Instead of presenting a thank you gift at the reception, I'm going to buy a pretty necklace and give it to her when she's getting dressed.