Being a mother of the bride comes with responsibilities. As happy as I am that my daughter is getting married this Sunday, I am aware that I have many things to take care of too. First and most importantly, I am there to help my daughter cope with the stress of planning for her wedding, her nerves as the wedding date gets closer and to let her vent when she needs to let go of some steam.

Actual Mother of the Bride Resposibilities:

• Along with the Bride’s father, if this is the case, decide on the budget of the wedding. (If parents are paying for wedding.)
• Assist Bride choose her gown. (I did give opinions when asked, but otherwise allowed my daughter to choose her gown on her own while I was there.)
• Help Bride to decide on location of wedding and reception. (I did not do this because the wedding is being held where my daughter and her fiance live.)
• Help with decisions about the wedding. If you are paying, you have more say than if you are not. Still, remember this is your daughter’s wedding! Because we planned this wedding long distance, we did most of the planning online. (I gave input where asked, but I did not push my ideas on to her. This is one of the most challenging things to do.)
• Chose your gown and share what you’ve bought with the groom’s mother so you can coordinate your clothing.
• Provide list of family and friends’ names and addresses for invitation list.
• Be the hostess during the wedding. Make introductions, be sure that people are comfortable, etc. Do not let Bride worry about anything that day. (We are fortunate to have a reception site that provides a wedding planner, who will assist during that day. If there are things that I can’t handle, I have her as my “go-to person”.)

That seems like a lot of work, but remember this is the one of the most important days in your daughter’s life. Also, if there is a great deal of time for planning, getting a calendar or planner to help you keep track of what needs to be done, your organization skills will come into good use and make these tasks easier.

Don’t forget to enjoy this process with your daughter. It can be stressful at times, but more often, it is fun and can bring you closer together. This has been the case with us.