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Not too long ago, the mother of the bride did most of the planning for her daughter's wedding. This ranged from helping her choose her dress to helping her choose her bridesmaids to making the actual preparations for the wedding ceremony and the reception. The mother of the bride was in a unique position to do so - after all she had been a bride herself not too long ago and was aware of the traditions and customs. Often, the daughter's wedding was also when the mother got to do some of the things that she would have loved to have at her own wedding but couldn't - because her mother was managing things!
Of course, things have changed a lot since then. Nowadays, brides are no longer naïve creatures unaware of the workings of the world. Most have careers and have lived by themselves for many years. They are thus highly likely to have very definite ideas about what to have and what not to have at their weddings. Apart from this, there are also professional wedding planners who have taken on the task of planning and organizing the wedding from the mother of the bride.
However, despite this, the mother of the bride still has a very important role to play at her daughter's wedding though the exact level of involvement depends on the bride and her mother. On occasions when the wedding is being held at the home of the bride's parents or in their hometown, it is but natural that the involvement of the mother of the bride will be much more than it would be if the wedding was being held somewhere else.
The most important role that the mother of the bride plays is that of the primary support of the bride. Weddings nowadays can be very stressful, physically, emotionally and mentally. It is not rare for brides to feel overwhelmed by it all. It is up to the mother of the bride to always be there for her daughter when her daughter needs her, with a sympathetic ear and a strong shoulder to lean on. The mother of the bride should ideally be ready with a warm smile and some practical advice whenever things go a bit out of control, having been through the whole crazy process herself.
The mother and father of the bride should ideally also handle the guest list for their side of the family starting with deciding on who all will be attending and going on to sending out the invitations, checking up on RSVPs and, if required, making arrangements for the travel and accommodation of out-of-state guests. The mother of the bride also acts as the hostess at the reception making sure that all the guests are welcomed and taken care of.
In addition to this, the mother of the bride may also have to help out the bride with a range of activities such as picking out the dress and looking for wedding locations. In general, it is a good idea for the mother of the bride to have a chat with her daughter well before the wedding to find out what all her daughter expects her to do as this will help both of them plan things better. It is best to let the bride decide such matters. If she feels that she needs a lot of her mother's help, her mother should accommodate her needs as far as possible.
On the other hand, should the bride feel that she can manage without too much of her mother's help, her mother should not feel bad about it and should gracefully accede to her wishes. Of course, either way, she must also make it clear that she stands ready to help her daughter, anytime her daughter needs it.
Shirley Tan is the owner of My Bridesmaids Gifts, widely known for bridesmaids favors at bargain prices. The intentions at http://www.MyBridesmaidsGifts.com is to help narrow down the decision making for a bridal favors or gifts for the bridesmaids. If you have any questions regarding any of the favors or gifts they carry, please contact them at info@MyBridemaidsGifts.com or call them at (888)381-8874
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