She's your best friend. Your partner-in-crime. Your confidant. Your rock. Your shoulder to cry on. Your soul sister. Your person. She's always been there for you, maybe even longer than your groom has been. She's your maid of honor.

You've already let her know that she's a special friend to you. Giving her the title alone shows that as your maid of honor, she's someone you can't imagine getting married without. She's someone you trust to help you plan your perfect wedding, someone who's even more important to you than all your other bridesmaids.

Still, you've given her a big job to do. From leading the group of bridesmaids, to hosting various prewedding events, to helping you plan your wedding, to being there for you emotionally during this hectic time – she's doing so much for you. With all of the responsibilities that come from being maid of honor, she deserves that much more honor on your special day. Here's 10 great ways to make your maid of honor feel and look as important as she is - from helping her stand out from the rest of the wedding party, to recognizing her publicly, to thanking her for all her hard work.

1) Put your Maid of Honor in a different shade of dress

A subtle yet effective way to make your maid of honor shine is by putting her in a different shade of dress. Have your maid of honor's dress made in just a shade darker or lighter than the other bridesmaids. Or, put her in a different color entirely – this is a great way to bring out specific colors from your wedding palate.

2) Let her wear white

The days of never wearing white to a wedding are so over. Have your Maid of Honor's dress more closely match yours – try putting her in white or off-white! The two of you will be able to get some great pictures together.

3) Make her dress a different length

If all of your bridesmaids are donning short, flirty dresses, try dressing your maid of honor in an elegant floor-length style. It'll make her look more formal and important.

4) Put her in a pattern

In a sea of solids, even the subtlest of patterns jumps out. Putting your maid of honor in a pattern that coordinates with the other solid bridesmaid dresses is a sure way to make her shine, but not pop out too much.

5) Give her a bigger bouquet

Give your maid of honor more flowers to hold! Taking the time to design a unique bouquet just for her will show her how much she means to you. It doesn't need to be big enough to rival yours – just a little bigger and fancier than the other bridesmaids'. You can also try giving her different colors of flowers – try giving her bouquet a pop of color that the other bridesmaids' bouquets don't have.
 

6) Shower her with gifts

It's common for the bride to give a gift to her bridesmaids on her wedding day. Give your maid of honor something extra-special. For example, if you're giving all of your bridesmaids matching earrings to wear, give your maid of honor those same earrings with a beautiful coordinating necklace to go with it – it's both a thoughtful gift she can always remember her best friend's wedding by, and a way for her to stand out from everyone else on the wedding day itself. Win-win!

 
7) Wear matching shoes

Wear matching shoes with your maid of honor! It'll set her apart from the rest of the bridesmaids and reinforce that special bond the two of you share. Plus, you'll be able to get some great pictures together. As a bonus – go shopping together to pick them out! That way you'll both love them and you'll get to spend some quality time together, just the two of you.

8) Let her walk down the aisle alone

After all of your bridesmaids have just walked down the aisle arm-and-arm with groomsmen, seeing the maid of honor walk the aisle alone will definitely make a statement. Give her a moment to have all of the honor to herself.

9) Give your Maid of Honor her own reception entrance

Have your maid of honor make her own dedicated reception entrance to a song that has special significance to the two of you. Maybe it's a song she always sings, or a song that you always blast in the car together when you go on long road trips, or a song you made a music video of together when you were 12. Whether any other guests get the significance of it or not, it'll be a special moment for you both.

10) Highlight your Maid of Honor in your thank-you speech

Be sure to mention your maid of honor in your thank-you speech, if you make one. Publicly recognizing all the work your maid of honor has done for you is a great way to validate her and let everyone know how much you care about her. If you won't be making a thank-you speech at your wedding, be sure to write her a great card afterward or take her out to lunch. Gratitude is key – for all she's done for you, you won't be able to thank her enough.

Conclusion

Of course, the greatest way you can honor your maid of honor is by showing her how much you love her. On your wedding day, she'll be there for you 100%, just like she always has been. Any little efforts you make to show her how much you cherish and appreciate her hard work and friendship will definitely be noticed – after all, who knows you better than your best friend?