There are some questions that dont get asked about weddings. Usually the only contact the photographer has is with the bride and not many other people, perhaps just the brides mother and father, and of course the groom. However, on the day there is a huge role that can be overlooked which can cause some confused as ive seen first hand. This role can be hugely important at some weddings more than others, and that is the maid of honor. For alot of people, whether its their first time or not being part of the bridal train, may not necessarily know what they can do to help the bride. So here are my top 5 tips to help be the best Maid of honor you can be.

BE ENTHUSIASTIC!
Wedding planning really can take over your life so be supportive and give honest opinions about the ideas she is giving you. When the bride asks you about the centre peices for the table AGAIN, don't roll your eyes give her your honest opinion about them. Saying do what you want its your day is not what most brides want to hear when she has a million and one things running through her head about what could go wrong and what isit done.
Be her go to girl...

The final few moments before a bride walks down the aisle can be her most nerve-wracking, so do your best to help keep her calm. Make it clear to everyone that you should be the first point of call when things go wrong, and only get the bride involved in true emergencies – she doesn’t need to know that the cake topper has gone missing or that the best man’s zip has just broken. Shield her from stresses at all costs and she’ll be eternally grateful afterwards.
Make time for her...
This is related to the first point. Your bride will always appreciate you making space in your diary for planning chats, and you should try your utmost to be available for all important appointments. If you can’t make it, be genuine and apologetic – try not to give the bride the impression that her big day doesn’t matter to you.
Be a bridesmaid ALL day
You're the maid of honour from the moment you wake up on the big day of the wedding to the moment you go to bed. Don’t forget about your duties after the ceremony is done and dusted e.g continue to be helpful throughout the reception and evening. do things like getting signatures for the guest book, making sure the suppliers have been paid and that granny has caught her taxi home.
Ward off jitters
Many brides will start to panic that they haven’t made the right decisions in the last few weeks. Banish all talk of ‘have I got the right dress?’ and ‘is the venue good enough?’ and reassure her that she’s made the right choices. If she’s seriously having second thoughts, talk it through calmly with her and make sure she’s thinking rationally before making any major changes.

Over the years i have learnt 5 things that i are important for us photographer to do before the day.

Research the venue before the day - This means either visiting the venue or calling them. Do something to get in contact with the venue to make sure you don't need to show them your insurance documents where you can or can't shoot, things like that. They might be able to give you some insight on location that aren't too far from the venue. Researching the venue gives you the insight into what equipment you might need on the day and more importantly a backup plan if something didn't or wasn't working on the actual day.

Arrive early - there is nothing more important than being punctual in my eyes, it gives you a chance to approach things calmly and professionally if you are on time. It also gives you time to get familiar with your surroundings and see the small details and possibly scout a location inside the venue that you may not of seen when you researched the venue, especially if you couldn't get to the venue previously.

Backups, Backups, Backups - i can not stress how important it is to have back up batteries AA, AAA, camera batteries, back up flashes, backup camera(s), backup memory cards and back up lenses. I dont know how you can call your self a Pro without back ups. Things arent too expensive to rent or try and borrow something off of someone. Do what you can, it is your responsibility!! The last thing you want is to break or run out of something and you have nothing to replace it with and you cant continue to shoot.

Water - always carry some water with you to drink, you could potentially go all day without eating and drinking because of how hectic things can get and if you are anything like me i'm always looking for the next picture or another way of taking the photo. Bring water or make sure you always make an effort to get a drink now and then. It will help you function better throughout the day, and it can be a long day 12-16 hours sometimes you don't want to break something or mess up settings because your dehydrated.

Lastly, RELAX - It is so important for you to be relax or at least hide the fact that you are stressed out, because that energy will get transferred onto your couple or the guests at the party. so no matter what while you are infront of the couple act like nothing bothers you except doing the best job for them as you possibly can. It's a wedding after all how could you be stressed out if you love what you do.

I Learnt this things the hard way no one told me these and its all through experience, im not just saying it. It makes the day so much more enjoyable and fun, and it goes so much smoother.. if you do these or have your own ideas please leave a comment or message me.

MY Top Tips for being a good Maid Of Honor...

My 5 Tips for photographers...