If the mother of the bride is taking part in the wedding processional, she is traditionally escorted by a close male relative like a son or brother or may enter alone. If the parents are divorced, she may be escorted by her partner. In some cases, a groomsman or best man will escort her down the aisle.
The mother of the bride is traditionally escorted by her son if she has one. Otherwise, any close male relative, the best man, or a groomsman walks with the mother of the bride during the procession.
The groom's parents precede the bride's mother during the processional. Here's a rundown: After the ushers have seated all of the guests, the grandparents start up the aisle, followed by the groom's parents. Then the bride's mother takes her turn. She is the last to be seated before the bridal party procession begins.
Mother of the bride
The mother of the bride is the last person seated before the officiant, groom and best man take their places at the altar. She can walk alone or be escorted by her son, son-in-law or another relative. She is seated on the left side in the first row.
5 minutes prior to ceremony: The groom's mother is escorted to her seat by the head usher, a son, or the groom. The groom's father follows and sits next to her. The wedding processional follows.
Family and Honored Guest Seating
Parents and the ceremony officiate should be seated in front of the couple. If there is room at the parents' table, seat all grandparents there. Otherwise, seat grandparents to the left for the bride and right for the groom at the next tables over.
A: Traditionally the Mother of the Bride chooses her dress first and notifies the Mother of the Groom so they can coordinate their outfits. You don't want the mothers looking at odds with each other because one is dressed more formally or they're wearing clashing colors.
The bride's parents and grandparents are seated together, often with their children, children's spouses, and grandchildren if space is available. The groom's parents and grandparents are seated at another table, often with their children, children's spouses, and grandchildren if space is available.
The mother of the bride should avoid trying to control every aspect of the wedding, criticizing the bride's decisions, or creating unnecessary drama.
Traditionally speaking, though, the bride's family pays for the bulk of the wedding—venue, reception, photographer, flowers, etc. As such, the mother of the bride is typically more 'in charge' of these things (along with the bride, of course) than the mother of the groom is.
For a Non-Denominational or Secular Wedding
The groom might opt to escort his mother down the aisle and to her seat in the front row, followed closely behind by the groom's father. This gives the groom an opportunity to give his parents a hug before taking his place at the altar.
Mother-of-the-bride responsibilities include helping the couple put together the guest list and also assisting with putting together the seating plan. Your opinion on where people should sit will be valued, and another set of eyes on the seating plan as a whole is always helpful.
Where should parents and grandparents of the bride and groom sit? Depending on the size and shape of tables you have, it's common to have a family table where the bride and groom's parents and grandparents sit together. Or, each set of parents can host their own table and be seated with close family and friends.
The mother of the bride is the last parent to be escorted in. Typically, by an usher, partner of parent, a son, or other family member. She is traditionally seated on the left front row.
From walking down the aisle first to last, the traditional order is: Mother of Bride, Mother of Groom, Grandparents of Bride, Grandparents of Groom, Groom, Officiant, the Wedding Party, Maid of Honor and Best Man, Ring Bearer, Flower Girl and lastly the Bride and her Father.
The people who make up the wedding party (the bride and groom, the bridesmaids and groomsmen, the flower girl and ring bearer, or the father and mother of the bride) are basically the MVPs of the big day. Get bridal party fashion advice, etiquette tips, gift ideas, and more.
What Color Does the Mother of the Bride Wear? There's not one specific color the mother of the bride should wear. But unless you've received approval from the couple, it's best to steer clear from white, ivory or champagne hues as not to take attention away from the bride.
As with most beauty questions, there is no hard-and-fast rule. Some brides may offer to cover hair and makeup services in order to thank the wedding party for being a part of their special day. On the other hand, sometimes the mother of the bride will bear the cost of hair and makeup.
Not only is she responsible for the bride's very existence, but she is also considered a host of the wedding—or perhaps the host, depending on whether or not she's footing the bill. As expected, this role comes with a great deal of honor, as well as ton of mother of the bride etiquette rules to follow.
The bride and groom sit in the middle, with the groom on the left as you're facing the table. Next to the bride are her father, the groom's mother, and finally the best man at the end. If you're not adverse to breaking tradition, you can organise the top table in a different way.
Honor attendants are usually a best friend or sister. Recently though, some brides have selected their mother for this role. It is perfectly fine to use the term 'Honor Attendant' and leave off the title of Maid or Matron if that works better for you.
Host the Reception
A key mother of the bride task on the day of the wedding is to host the reception with the other parents. Take the time to chat to guests, thank them for coming, ensure everything is happening as it should be and just generally make sure the day is running smoothly.
Try blues, greens, purples, and neutrals such as navy, emerald, plum, or silver. These versatile – and universally flattering – palettes make it easy for mothers of the bride and groom to harmonize. With pale green and blue tints, we love silvery shades for Mum, while jewel tones pair well with other rich colours.
The bride and groom will dance first. This is the usual format. Then the parent dances with the couple - the father with the bride and the mother with the groom. The groom's father will then dance with the bride and the groom with the mother-in-law.
Unless the bride asks both Mothers to wear the same color, make sure you avoid wearing the same color on the occasion. The mother of the bride and the mother of the groom's outfits must complement each other, especially for photos. Another thing that you need to remember is the formality of the dress.