Truly support
independent journalism
Our mission is to provide unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds the powerful to account and exposes the truth.
Whether it's $5 or $50, every contribution counts.
Support us in offering journalism without agenda.
A bride-to-be decided to put aside traditional wedding standards to prioritize her wishes for the big day.
TikTok creator Anna Vatuone wasn't afraid to break the rules with her bridal party. The 29-year-old writer took to her account to share the big detail she decided to do as her fall wedding approaches.
In a June 9 video, Vatuone revealed that her nuptials would take place on the first day of next fall. Before her special celebration, the bride-to-be decided (or rather, didn't decide) who she wanted to be her maid of honor.
“When it came time to decide who would be my maid of honor, it seemed like an impossible question,” she admitted. “I decided to do something different.”
Typically, a bride chooses a close family member or her best friend to be her maid of honor and organize festivities such as her bachelorette party. The maid of honor should be there to help with anything the bride needs. The distinguished position is also a meaningful sentiment, resembling the bond between the bride and whomever she chooses.
For Vatuone, there was no one person more deserving of this title. Instead, she asked each of her five bridesmaids to “have a unique title.” First, she asked her friend Rachel to be her “lady of loving kindness.” Next, she asked TikToker friend Becky to be her “lady of joy,” while Kirsten took on the “lady of passion” and Crystal was the “lady of courage.” Lastly, she asked Vatuone to be the “lady of generosity.”
“Each word represents a quality that I admire in them and want to bring with me to my wedding,” the bride explained.
Vatuone asked his friends, one by one, to write letters to describe instances in which he had seen them exhibit these qualities.
![The bride asks her friend to be her](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/07/20/18/Screen-Shot-2024-07-20-at-1.29.55-PM.jpg)
As for their duties, Vatuone has requested that each woman share what her word means to her and how Vatuone can channel it. Their speeches are to be delivered the night before their wedding.
“When people ask me who my maid of honor is, this is what I tell them,” read the title of her video.
With over 561,000 views on TikTok, Vatuone has garnered support from many. Touched viewers commented on her post and praised her “healthy” gesture.
![The future bride asks her friend to be the](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/07/20/18/newFile-1.jpg)
Speaking to Good morning americaThe bride admitted that her inspiration came from a post on Reddit. “I really liked the idea of showing people that there are actually different ways to do this and how we can give back. How can we give back to the people in our lives that have helped us get to where we are today?” she noted.
Although Vatuone has found his romantic love, his five friends will always be his companions forever.
“One of the things I said in the video was that they loved me first. And I think about that all the time,” she told GMA. “Because I think for a long time, I really longed to find romantic love and I wanted to find a great partner and I was looking for that and now that I’m engaged to this amazing guy, I still think that I already had an amazing love story with my friends and they showed me how to love, they showed me how to be in a relationship.”
The Independent has contacted Vatuone for comment.