Your mother has played a major role in your life, especially the “girlie” bits so it stands to reason she will want to play a part in planning your wedding. If you let her she can be an enormous help to you.
The traditional role of the mother of the bride is to be the hostess for the reception. She greets the guests as they arrive and makes sure everything goes to plan. She will be able to do it far more effectively if she has been involved in the planning.
One of my proudest moments was being mother of the bride. In this day and age the role of mother of the bride has changed dramatically. However when it came to planning the wedding my daughter, Natalie, and son-in-law, Dave, allowed me free rein. Mind you I was careful to run all details by them before taking a step. Not only was I practicing my new role of mother of the bride, I was working towards my next role – that of being a good mother-in-law.
Most Mums revel in being mother of the bride. Just give her the chance and Mum can be an enormous help to you. Sit down with her and go through all the things that have to be done and agree on the ones she will look after. Don’t forget she is used to organizing herself and others. It is also a good idea to encourage her to get to know the groom’s mother. If nothing else it will ensure there are no unpleasant surprises about their outfits on the day. You will also find that if the two mums are talking easily there will be a high level of communication between the two families right from the start.
Remember this is an emotional time for Mum too. Occasionally she will need a bit of TLC mainly in the form of consideration. For example, one of the most sensitive things you can do for her is to ask her to help you choose your dress. This is extra special to her.
In my role as a marriage celebrant I attend a lot of weddings. I love looking at the mother of the bride and seeing her face shine with pride. I can relate totally.
The bride’s mother
