19 Fun Maid of Honor Facts

By James Israelsen, Associate Writer

Published May 11, 2022

Modern etiquette guides recommend choosing two maids of honor if a bride has more than one sister or best friend, in order to keep the peace at the wedding._[8]
Traditionally, the maid or matron of honor is expected to help the bride select bridesmaid gowns, address invitations, and organize the bridesmaid luncheon._[8]
In the past, pregnant women were never invited to be part of the wedding party; but in modern weddings, having a pregnant bridesmaid or maid/matron of honor is not usually considered a problem._[8]
If the woman selected by the bride to be the maid of honor is married, she is called a matron of honor._[3][6]
One of the maid of honor's most important duties is to be a contact person for both the wedding guests and for the bride's other wedding attendants._[3]
Celebrity Ryan Seacrest's sister chose her famous brother to serve as her "man of honor" in her 2016 wedding._[1]
Famous maids of honor include Taylor Swift, Courtney Cox, Kirsten Dunst, Paris Hilton, Jessica Simpson, and Britney Spears._[1]
In Britain, the bride chooses a "chief bridesmaid" instead of a maid of honor, as they do in America._[5]
In the United States, the maid of honor is traditionally expected to give a speech during the wedding dinner._[5]

The maid of honor is the bride's right hand

In keeping with British tradition, Meghan Markle did not have a maid of honor in her wedding to Prince Harry._[2]
Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge and future Queen of England, chose not to be the matron of honor at her sister's 2017 wedding, in order to avoid overshadowing the bride on her big day._[6]
On the wedding day, the maid of honor is supposed to hold the groom's wedding ring and the bride's bouquet, witness the signing of the marriage certificate, and help the bride change out of her wedding gown._[8]
The term "Maid of Honor" originally referred to a queen's royal attendants throughout her reign; only in modern times did it come to mean a bride's chief bridesmaid._[7]
Selecting a maid of honor for a wedding is a tradition that originated in ancient Rome, when a bride chose several women to wear identical dresses and accompany her throughout the wedding day in order to confuse evil spirits._[7]

Female attendants to the bride are an ancient custom

In the Biblical book of Genesis, when the patriarch Jacob marries two of his wives, Rachel and Leah, they each bring a "maid" to their weddings, possibly to serve in the same capacity as modern maids of honor._[9]
In feudal Chinese times, brides usually had to travel a long distance to meet their husbands. It was common for such brides to bring with them several other maids in identical dress for added security._[9]
A drunk maid of honor in a 2017 Florida wedding attempted to run the best man over with a car, resulting in her being arrested before the wedding was over._[4]
Kirsten Dunst has both played a maid of honor in the film Bachelorette and been one in real life, at the 2012 wedding of a childhood friend._[1]
In 2017, actress Kathryn Heigl served as her sister's maid of honor, and then the two switched roles a few months later for Kathryn's own wedding._[1]