As soon as your daughter announces that she has got engaged, the excitement and nerves are palpable, as you do everything you can to ensure she is as relaxed and happy as she possibly can be during both the organization stages and on the actual wedding day too.
The job of mother of the bride is an important one, both in an emotional sense and a practical context and so, to assist you in this role of a lifetime, here are four important points to remember as mother of the bride.
1. Always Bear in Mind the Couple’s Budget
Even if you have generously gifted an amount of money to the happy couple for either their wedding, their honeymoon or for a combination of both, you need to keep in mind with any suggestion you make that the budget they have set is their own prerogative.
Sometimes, parents of the bride and groom get carried away with wanting to make their son or daughter’s wedding the event of the year, but you must respect the budget they have and that what they say goes.
Moreover, if there is a particular booking or item your daughter and her fiancé truly want, you could always suggest paying for it as a wedding gift.
2. Try Not to Involve Yourself with Every Decision
Now, it may well be the case that your daughter simply wants you to be entirely involved in every single step of planning the wedding; from choosing the bridesmaid dresses to the style and taste of the wedding cake, she wants you there.
However, you should also remember that it is not compulsory for her to keep you abreast of every single decision that she and her fiancé make, and you should remember to basically be as involved, or surprised, as she wants you to be every step of the way.
3. Co-Ordinate Your Outfit
Aside from the bride, who of course is absolutely the focus of everyone’s attention throughout the wedding day and into the evening (even if the groom falsely believes otherwise), many people will be wondering what you, as the mother of the bride, are going to be wearing.
Not only should you absolutely run your outfit options past your daughter and indeed, find the perfect plus size mother of the bride UK outfit sooner rather than later, it is also important to make sure your clothes complement the bridesmaid dresses.
4. Ask Your Daughter’s Permission Before Inviting People
For some people, the automatic title of ‘uncle’ or ‘aunt’ is a pre-requisite to being invited and involved in a wedding, but for others (and this may well be the case with your daughter) they may prefer to simply invite the people with whom they are closest on a day-to-day basis.
This is why you absolutely must respect her decision, even if you know your daughter’s cousin wants to be part of her big day, but your daughter herself would prefer to give that chair at the wedding breakfast to a college friend.