Whether she’s your childhood friend, best friend from high school, college roommate, sorority sister, real sister, or sister-in-law to be, it’s safe to assume that your maid of honor plays an important role in your life. As a sign of respect for that oh-so-important relationship and the role that you want her to play in your wedding day festivities, she deserves to stand out from the crowd of other friends and relatives in your bridal party.

Maid of Honor: Cameron in Moss | Bridesmaids: Kennedy Blue Ryan | CR photos

How To Make Your Maid of Honor Stand Out

If you’re trying to figure out how to make your maid of honor stand out from the rest of your wedding party, we’ve got seven great ideas on how to make her shine, how to make her feel special, and how to make your guests realize that she’s one of the most important people in your wedding day celebration. From putting her in a different dress to giving her a special gift, it’s easy to make your MOH feel like one of the most cherished participants in your wedding celebration!

1) Choose a Unique Dress for Your Maid of Honor

Whether you’re embracing the mix-and-match trend or outfitting all of your bridesmaids in the same look, putting your maid of honor in a different dress is the easiest way to make her stand out from the crowd. With so many coordinating dress variations available from the same designers, it’s easy to choose a slightly different look for your maid of honor.

Choose a Stand-out Fabric for Your Maid of Honor

I love this technique. For instance, if your ‘maids will be donning chiffon gowns, style your maid of honor in sequins! That’s one way to make her (literally) shine. You could also dress her in lace or satin. Mixed-fabric gowns are also on-trend, so your ‘maids could wear chiffon, and your maid of honor could wear velvet!

Mix & Match Fabric Bridesmaid Dresses | Brianna Lane Photography

Let Your Maid of Honor Wear a Pattern

Floral print bridesmaid dresses are still floating down the runways. I’m obsessed, really. Style your bridal party in a mix of solid colors, and your #1 girl in a pattern featuring all of them. The result would be stunning! There are also more subtle options like a velvet dress with a floral pattern embedded in it.

Put Your Maid of Honor in a Different Neckline

A super easy solution! Your leading lady can don sleeves or a strapless neckline while your wedding party wears the opposite. A one-shouldered asymmetrical option would also be a great idea to have your maid of honor stand out amongst the two-shouldered dresses. 

Maid of Honor in Long Sleeves | Ashley Baker Photography

Let Your Maid of Honor Choose a Dress With a Unique Silhouette

All of our favorite designers offer a variety of cohesive silhouettes and variations that make it easy to choose a slightly different look for your maid of honor. If you want to make her feel even more special, present her with a few bride-approved options and allow her to make the final decision of what silhouette she wants to wear!

2) Ask With a Special Maid of Honor Proposal

Ask your best friend to be your maid of honor with a unique proposal just for her. We love bridesmaid proposals and we highly encourage brides to get their bridesmaids cute gifts. If you want to make her feel extra special, make sure you get your maid of honor a little extra something. Etsy is home to tons of pre-made but customizable maid of honor proposal gift boxes like this one:

"Will You Be My Maid of Honor?" Proposal Box

We also love the idea of a really simple and affordable gift. These maid of honor proposal labels are perfect to stick to your bestie’s favorite bottle of wine:

Maid of Honor Proposal Label

Want to get creative with a DIY gift? You could buy an empty gift box and fill it with your future maid of honor’s favorite things. These gift boxes from Etsy can be personalized with her name or anything else you want to say:

Custom Maid of Honor Proposal Gift Box

3) Consider a Different Hairstyle From the Other Bridesmaids

Choosing a different hairstyle for your maid of honor is a great idea if you want to have all your bridesmaids in matching dresses and just want to make a subtle distinction. If all of your bridesmaids are wearing up-dos, allow your maid of honor the option to wear her hair down, or to the side, or half up and half down. The subtle differentiation between hairstyles will undoubtedly make her stand out and take center stage in a bridal party photo.

4) Wear Special Maid of Honor Jewelry

A statement necklace, a glitzy hair accessory, or a sparkly bracelet may be all you need to distinguish your maid from the rest of your bridal party. If you’re trying to figure out how to make your maid of honor feel special, a unique jewelry accessory may be all you need to make the distinction

Kennedy Blue Gold Teardrop Earrings | Kennedy Blue Gold Teardrop Necklace

5) Let Your Maid of Honor Walk Down the Aisle Alone

When all of your bridesmaids are walking the aisle with a groomsman, it’s easy to make your maid of honor stand out by letting her walk the aisle alone. Everyone knows that the last bridesmaid to walk the aisle before the bride is the maid of honor, but it can make even more of an impact when you give her a moment to shine and walk solo—you could even play a unique song! This is especially helpful if you have a different number of groomsmen than bridesmaids!

6) Have A Thoughtful Announcement at the Reception Entrance

At most weddings, each bridesmaid and groomsman pair enter the reception in pairs. When your maid of honor and/or best man enters, have your DJ add their favorite music or a special announcement to make them feel special! If all of your bridal party is getting creative with their entrances, you can easily make your bridesmaid’s stand out by giving her an extra few seconds for hers.

Rebecca Ingram Lorraine Wedding Dress | Captured Glory Photography

6. Give A Maid of Honor Gift

We love the idea of making your maid of honor feel even more appreciated by giving her an extra-special surprise. If you’re gifting all of your bridesmaids with earrings to wear on your wedding day, you could give your maid of honor those same earrings, plus a special bracelet or a necklace. 

If you’re having a destination wedding and your bridal party is paying for their own flights and hotel rooms, you could gift her (and the best man) with an all-expenses paid trip if you can find room in your budget to do so.

A custom mug is a cute, affordable, and practical idea for a maid of honor gift. This mug from Etsy is personalized with your maid of honor’s name and a special flower for her birth month:

Birth Flower Custom Mug Maid of Honor Gift

Another super practical idea for a maid of honor gift is a toast book. If your maid of honor and best man are giving toasts at your wedding, they’re going to need a book to jot down ideas. These personalized toast books from Etsy are the perfect gift for your maid of honor and best man:

Wedding Toast Book For Your Maid of Honor

7. Make Your Maid of Honor’s Bouquet Unique

One of the easiest ways to distinguish your maid of honor from the rest of your bridesmaids is to give her a floral bouquet that’s slightly bigger or different from the rest of your bridesmaids. While the maid of honor’s bouquet should never rival that of the bride, it’s easy to create a larger arrangement, incorporate more color, or decorate her bouquet with different accents or a distinctive sash that gives her a unique look.

Kennedy Blue “Cameron” Maid of Honor Dress in Moss | CR photos

Best Maid of Honor Dresses

We love the idea of a maid of honor dress that stands out from the rest of your bridal party. A slightly different fabric, color, or shape can really set your maid of honor apart in a subtle way. We collected a few of our favorite bridesmaid dresses that have a hint of uniqueness for your maid of honor.

1) Black Maid of Honor Dress

This black maid of honor dress is covered from top to bottom in sequins. If all of your bridesmaids are wearing black dresses, your maid of honor will stand out with a bit of sparkle.

Kennedy Blue “Davis” Black Bridesmaid Dress

2) Gold Maid of Honor Dress

We chose this gold maid of honor dress because of its unique neckline. We also love that it is a bit longer than most bridesmaid dresses, giving it an extra elegant look. 

Kennedy Blue "Rory" Satin Gold Bridesmaid Dress

3) Burgundy Maid of Honor Dresses

If your bridesmaid dresses are sleeveless, you could put your maid of honor in long sleeves or something with flowy short sleeves. We love the simple yet stunning way this flowy burgundy bridesmaid dress stands out. 

Kennedy Blue "Luca" Bordeaux Bridesmaid Dress

4) Plus Size Maid of Honor Dresses

Our bridesmaids dresses come in a full spectrum of sizes! We love this pink plus size dress for a maid of honor because the sequins on the bust will make her shine!

Kennedy Blue "Vera" Plus Size Rose Gold Bridesmaid Dress

Make Your Maid of Honor Shine

The modern bride can make her maid of honor feel special in a variety of different, unique, and unexpected ways. Keep your relationship in mind. Think of all the ways that she’s been there for you over the years, and honor her with the special treatment that she deserves. 

Simply naming someone as your maid of honor is a meaningful distinction all its own. To honor her with a special gift, a unique dress, or an unexpected moment will inevitably make her feel even more important on your most important day.

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