Your little girl is all grown up and getting married—congratulations! You know the wave of wedding preparations is to come, but where do you fit in? As the mother of the bride, you have a pinnacle role in wedding preparations. We’ll take you through what’s expected in our guide to being mother of the bride.
From Mom to Personal Shopper
The biggest responsibility our Mother of the Brides (MOTB) have is helping their bride find the perfect gown. Sit down with your bride and net out the trunk shows and salons she wishes to browse and make the appointments. Ensure that any friends or family the bride wishes to accompany her are invited, while being aware of and respecting any restrictions the chosen salon may have; some place restrictions on the number or ages of guests that can accompany a bride-to-be. Don’t forget a camera or fully charged cell phone at the least to get pictures of potential dresses. She’ll rely on you to give her honest feedback, but make sure you are 100% her cheerleader when she finds the one!
Dresses x 2
In addition to choosing her own dress that fits the style, colors and formality of the wedding, the MOTB assists the groom’s mother in selecting her perfect gown. If distance is an issue, sending suggestions or descriptions will suffice. Make sure you specify color and style “don’ts” and be specific—one woman’s teal could be vastly different than another’s!
Something borrowed, something blue–the responsibility is on you
One wonderful responsibility is presenting the bride with any family heirlooms or jewelry for the wedding day. Make sure you discuss these items early on in the process so the bride can plan her wedding ensemble purchases accordingly.
Help incorporate family heritage into the wedding, and ensure the groom’s family traditions are represented as well.
Guest List Guru
MOTB’s should help list out “must invites” for the couple and collect those from the groom’s side of the family. A big MOTB “don’t” is adding last minute guests so ensure your list of musts is ready for the first round. Be available for any guest list discussions if it’s necessary to cut the list to a manageable size.
Mother of the Bride = SPOC
The MOTB should be a single point of contact for wedding vendors delegated by the bride. During the initial wedding planning process, host a relaxing meal with the maid-of-honor, yourself, and the bride where she can delegate tasks.
With all of these, the MOTB should defer to the bride’s wishes and ask to help rather than assume. Remember, the biggest MOTB duty of all is cheerleader, confident, friend, and mom.
The Roberts Centre’s planning staff can help with all of your details. We’ll make the wedding day perfect and are ready to add in the special touches that make it “wow.”
Contact us today at 937-283-3272.
