Few things bring joy to a mother’s heart than witnessing her daughter’s wedding. The mother of the bride is the second most important woman at a wedding; there’s something pure and symbolic about her position and functions leading up to the wedding and at the wedding.
To say she is the guest of honour is a grand understatement, her importance at the event is symbolized by the fact that she sits in the key seat in the front row on the left side of the aisle. This is a well-deserved position because the mother of the bride has a ridiculous amount of responsibilities, so much that you would think it was her wedding.
While the specifics of these responsibilities vary from wedding to wedding, below are some responsibilities that remain a constant:
Now, you might think that because weddings are such happy occasions, things will go along fine and dandy. Well, think again. Most weddings feature a lot of stress and tension, and a lot of this tension comes from within the family.
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The bride mustn’t be stressed on her wedding day as it would ruin her look and overall mood. It’s also important to make sure that other relatives don’t stress the bride and ruin her day. Usually, this happens unintentionally since the bride is already under a ton of stress about the wedding, thus, the mother of the bride should endeavour to keep away any potential triggers and assure her daughter that everything is going wonderfully.
A recent tradition encourages the mother of the bride to give a speech at the wedding. It wasn’t a necessary tradition for the mother of the bride to give an address, but things have changed a lot since then.
The mother of the bride speech is now one of the most anticipated parts of the wedding. The mother of the bride must ask people who have given similar speeches for tips for the mother of the bride’s speech.
It’s polite and courteous to contact the mother of the groom, or the other bride, and ensure she’s doing well on the day of the wedding. The ‘other mother’ will also be under a lot of pressure, and it’ll be very reassuring for her to get a call from the mother of the bride.
It’ll also help make sure that things are going fine at the other end and the wedding plans will go smoothly.
This is a no brainer. The mother of the bride should help her daughter get ready for the wedding. It’s not only reassuring for the bride to have her mother beside her as she prepares for the biggest day of her life, but it’s also very ceremonial and powerfully symbolic.
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The mother of the bride should help the bride dress up and help her calm her nerves before the wedding starts.
The mother of the bride is expected to travel to the wedding ceremony ahead of the bride. Tradition dictates that she travels with the bridesmaids and the little children that may be at the wedding.
The mother of the bride should be there at least a half-hour before the bride arrives.
The mother of the bride is the protector of wedding gifts. It’s an important task as the wedding gifts are vital to the married couple and the people who gave out the gifts.
The mother of the bride should ensure the gifts are stashed away safely.
Image: Dreamlife Photography
On the day of the wedding, both the bride’s mum and the groom’s mum could work together to make sure things go as planned.
They could do this by making sure the men in both families find their ways to venues early enough and also perform duties required of them without delays. This will go a long way in making sure that the bride has a stress-free wedding.
At the wedding, there’s bound to be a lot of alcohol-fueled celebration. The mother of the bride should ensure that the bridal party eats well so that they don’t drink on empty stomachs.
If the mother of the bride is panicking, then it’s only natural for everyone else to panic. The best thing the mother of the bride can do is to be calm and happy and remind everyone that it’s a day of celebration and not a day of stress.
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Be calm and organized; the bride deserves it. Should a problem arise, the mother of the bride should tackle it calmly and not make a fuss out of it.
The best thing a mother can do for the bride on the wedding day is to be calm and collected and be genuinely happy for her. Add organization to this equation, and you’ll be looking at a perfect wedding that everyone will remember fondly. And don’t forget, it’s not just responsibility, it’s also an honour.