Mother of the Bride
It is a memorable experience for mothers and daughters to organise a wedding. Traditionally, the mother of the bride plays a hugely influential and prominent role.
If the bride's mother is hosting the wedding, especially from her home or at a local venue, then her level of involvement is high. Alongside the bride, she is in charge of most of the organisation.
The bride should clearly establish how much she wants her mother to do. She can take some of the pressure off the bride by attending meetings and making appointments; she may also be asked to send out the invitations and manage the responses.
The mother of the bride also plays a prominent role on the wedding day:
- She helps, if required, with the dressing of the bride.
- She usually accompanies the bridesmaids to the ceremony.
- She is the last to be seated before the bride's entrance, and is accompanied down the aisle to her seat on the arm of the chief usher.
- She sits, with the father of the bride or whoever is chosen to give the bride away, on the left of the aisle.
- She sometimes lifts the bride's veil back during the first hymn (this duty may also be carried out by the chief bridesmaid).
- She joins the recessional on the arm of the groom's father.
- At the reception, she is a co-host, responsible for welcoming guests, circulating and making introductions.
- Traditionally, the bride's parents do not leave the wedding reception until the last guests have gone, but this is unnecessary if the party ends in the small hours.
See The Bride's Wedding Morning
