The Chief Bridesmaid is usually the bride's sister or her closest friend and she undertakes many of the same duties as the best man for the groom, but unlike the best man does not make a speech.

Her duties begin more or less from the moment she is asked to be chief bridesmaid and consist very largely of being on hand to help the bride with whatever needs to be done.

Before the wedding

The chief bridesmaid usually has a myriad of tasks among which are the following:

Ensure the bride keeps a record of who has accepted and declined the invitations
Help the bride with the choice of her own dress and with the choice of outfits for the other attendants
Organise the hen night
Check and double-check that the last-minute details ( florists, photographer and videographer, transport etc.) are under control. The last minute is when the bride will be at her more stressed and when the bridesmaid is most needed.


On the wedding day

Arrive at the bride's home early and go with her to the hairdresser
Help her dress for the wedding
Ensure the transport is on its way and on time
Check and double check that the bride has packed everything for the honeymoon and that the luggage is organised
Arrange her dress , train, veil and head flowers before the bride enters the church
Ensure the flowergirls or younger bridesmaids are prepared and know what they are doing
Stand behind and to the side of the bride at the top of the aisle, Take her bouquet and when she is standing beside the groom at the alter, lift her veil.
Work together with the best man at the reception to break ice and introduce people to each other.
Ensure her dress is secure and put away carefully if the bride is changing at the reception venue.


After the wedding

Collect the remaining pieces of wedding cake from the reception venue and keep it well wrapped and in a cool dry place until the bride returns from honeymoon.

Return any hired dresses or clothing