If the main attendant to the bridesmaid is unmarried, she is known as the "maid of honour." If the main attendant is married, however, she is referred to as the "matron of honour."
Usually the Bridesmaid(s) only carry a bouquet and it's the Maid (single person) of Honor or Matron (married) of Honor that will not only carry her own bouquet, but hold the bouquet of the bride while the rings are being exchanged. Bridesmaids can be given the duty of holding the train of the Bride, but, flower girls can have this duty. If you just want other ideas as to what they could carry in lieu of a bouquet they could carry a Bible (if you are religious) with one red rose across it. If you are getting married in December white muffs (with a sprig of holly attached) are elegant. They can even carry candles, but it should be arranged properly so as not to start a fire )you don't want the Bridesmaid torching up for the evening! It depends on what your theme is. If you are getting married at the beach a bouquet can be made out of shells or a small basket full of decorative shells and clear, colored small glass bubbles.
Usually, women that are not yet married are supposed to be the ones trying to catch the bouquet. However, if you feel like including everyone in, you can just call all the woman together, so everyone participates in this great tradition!
No.
A maiden of honor is simply an unmarried bridesmaid or a girl who helps at the wedding similar to a maid of honor. Matron of honor is a married Maid of honor.
A chief bridesmaid is the maid or matron of honor. You can have one of each, and as many additional bridesmaids as you want--there are no rules. However, too many can look ridiculous and make taking pictures difficult.
a matron is a married lady, she could also be a chaperone
The maid of honor refers to a brides honor attendant who is not married. To were as the matron of honor refers to one who is married. The matron is usually a best friend or sister.
You should speak to the mother of the bride to find out if you could give a bridal shower for your niece even though your daughter is a bridesmaid. Generally it is the Maid of Honor (single woman) or Matron of Honor (married woman) or one of the bridesmaids that give a shower for the bride.
No, a bridesmaid and a maid of honor are not the same thing. A maid of honor is a higher role than that of a bridesmaid; consider a maid of honor to be for the bride what the best man is for the groom. The maid of honor is typically responsible for assisting the bride with anything during the wedding planning process and is most notable for planning and paying for the bachelorette party. The maid of honor is also responsible for helping with the bridal shower (though bridesmaids are expected to help with the bridal shower, too). Finally, the maid of honor is responsible for making a speech at the wedding reception.
This is definitely an opinion question, but I am the wedding coordinator for my church. Generally, one leads off with the junior bridesmaid, then the "regular" bridesmaids, maid or matron of honor, the the ring-bearer and flower-girl just before the bride. This is not set in stone. For example, if the junior bridesmaid is the big sister of younger attendants, then put her after the other bridesmaids (but before the maid/matron of honor) so she can help keep them calm and focused. If your bridesmaids are walking in with escorts, the junior bridesmaid can go before or after if she's paired up with someone. If she's not paired up, then I'd put her first.
The distinction between a Maid of Honor and Matron of Honor fall into two categories: (1) marital status and (2) age.Marital Status.Most, but not all, references define the Matron of Honor as a married woman. Those that do not indicate the Matron must be married indicate she is an older, trusted woman.Age.With respect to age, a Matron of Honor is generally thought of as older and more mature than a Maid of Honor.While, strictly speaking, a Matron is a married woman, it is also acceptable to call an older, unmarried woman the Matron of Honor.