There’s been a lot of excitement in my family lately. My sister got engaged and my brother and sister-in-law became puppy parents. That means two new roles for me — puppy aunt and maid of honor.

Puppy aunt doesn’t scare me too much. I can handle any responsibilities that come my way with that. But maid of honor is a different story. I have quickly discovered I am a nuptial newbie with lots to learn!

What does a maid of honor even do? How is it different from a bridesmaid? What is expected of me? Do they make handbooks for these things? With all these questions running through my head, I decided to do what I do best, Google. I googled “Maid of Honor,” and there appeared my lifesaver, The Maid of Honor Guide. The site provides everything from a list of duties to etiquette to tips on avoiding bridesmaid rebellion and bridal party catfights. Anything ande verything I would ever want or need to know about being a maid of honor was right there.

Thinking about my responsibilities that lie ahead, the thing that scares me most is the speech. I most definitely prefer NOT to be the center of attention and am certainly not a fan of speaking in front of large groups of people. Who is anyway? As Jerrey Seinfeld wisely noted: “According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.”

Setting all my cluelessness and fears aside, I am very excited and honored to have been chosen for this role. Even though I may lack experience, I can promise there will be no drunken speeches, WWE smack downs or bridal meltdowns on my watch. As chair of the bridesmaid committee, I plan to help make my little sister’s special day as perfect as she dreams it to be.

Do you have any advice, horror/success stories or tips for a Maid of Honor in training? What things were the most or least helpful for you throughout your wedding planning process?