The Dream Team

Wedding expert and author of the Malaysian Wedding Handbook, Leticia Hsu speaks to Fang Sue Yin on the unspoken rules of bridesmaid and groomsman duties

One of the first decisions soon-to-be wed couples make is regarding who will be in their wedding party. In many cases, both the bride and groom already have solid ideas of who they’d like standing beside them—some even way before the proposal. They may be relatives, childhood friends or roommates during college, but there’s more than just the relationship involved when choosing members of the bridal party. The terms ‘bridesmaid’ and ‘groomsman’ isn’t just for great friends or siblings, it’s an important role that these men and women will take on throughout the planning of the wedding. They are the right-hand men and women. So, if you have been chosen to stand beside the couple on their wedding day, feel honoured and be the best support you can be—emotionally or physically. Whether you’re the maid of honour, a bridesmaid or a groomsman, there is some amount of responsibility placed on you to ensure everything goes smooth. Though it can be difficult to know what exactly needs to (or not) be done—old-fashioned etiquette books and common sense do not always line up, and it can be hard to find an accurate guide to go about your bridesmaid or groomsman duties. Thus we enlisted Leticia Hsu to enlighten us on some dos and don’ts.