Your baby has grown up and is getting married. You will be the Mother of the Bride at her wedding. What exactly does that require of you?

The Mother of the Bride has many responsibilities. She of course needs to be there for her daughter, the bride in any capacity needed.

She can meet with the mother of the groom to coordinate all the arrangements for the wedding and reception to make sure the day of the wedding that all things run smoothly and as planned so that the bride and groom won't have to worry over the details. The Mother of the Bride helps with all of the details of planning the wedding such as making sure the bride and groom are registered at all of the bridal registries around town and sending out announcements to local newspapers if necessary.

As the brides mother she will prepare a list of guests to invite from the brides side of the family and make sure the wedding invitations are sent out on time and were received by invited guests. She should contact those guests who don't RSVP to see if they plan to attend the wedding or not. The Mother of the Bride also will help out of town guests arrange hotel and car rental reservations and any other things they may require while in town for the wedding.

The Mother of the Bride can help the bride find the best places to shop for her wedding dress and arrange fittings and other necessary details. She can find out who the best DJ service in the area is, check their references and arrange a meeting with the bride and groom to choose the music for the wedding and reception. She can search out and visit possible locations for the wedding and reception to be held and report back to the bride and groom on her recommendations.

The Mother of the Bride can help the bride and groom set up a budget for their wedding and make sure that they get the most for their money spent. She can make visits to catering services in town to get menu ideas and pricing. She can meet with the wedding cake designer to get several ideas to present to her daughter and her prospective husband. Once the cake is chosen she can order it and make sure it is prepared as requested. Wedding favor ideas can be presented to the bride and groom and once decided upon the Mother of the Bride can order them.

The Mother of the Bride will want to help plan the wedding shower for her daughters big day. Usually the shower is thrown by the brides friends but the Mother of the Bride should be there to assist in any way requested. She should make sure she has at least 2 dresses: one for the rehearsal dinner and one for the wedding. If possible she should contact the grooms mother so that they can work out coordinating dresses for the wedding.

The Mother of the Bride will act as co-hostess along with the mother of the groom at the wedding and reception and make sure that all of the guests have a good time and that nothing arises to cause any problems.

As Mother of the Bride you will want to present your daughter with a special gift to remember her day. A gift of photo jewelry is perfect not only for the bride but for the bridesmaids as well.

As you can see being the Mother of the Bride is a huge responsibility but one you will always treasure and remember!