If you and your mother have always been the best of friends, it is only natural that you will want to honor that special relationship in your wedding plans. There are many, many ways that the bride can include her mother in her big day. These are some of the most special ways to involve your mom in your wedding.
Perhaps no part of wedding planning is more sentimental than going wedding gown shopping with your mother. So while you may be excited to run down to the nearest bridal salon the moment you get engaged, try to wait until your mother can come with you. Think about how disappointed she would be if she wasn’t there when you found your dream gown. Make an event of it: set the appointment with the bridal shop and clear your calender so you can spend the entire day with your mom. After you find your wedding dress, you might want to go shopping for your bridal jewelry and other accessories. And you will certainly want to go to lunch and have a celebratory toast with her! So that nothing interferes with the memorable mother-daughter bonding experience of wedding gown shopping with your mom, do not bring along a lot of other people. Remember that you can always invite your entourage to a gown fitting later to see how you look all done up in your dream gown and fabulous bridal jewelry.
Another way to honor your mom when planning your wedding is to use something from her wedding in your own event. One lovely custom is to take a piece of the lace from your mother’s wedding gown and to sew it inside your own dress. Some brides even go so far as to have a seamstress re-work their mom’s wedding dress so they can wear it down the aisle. If you are not interested in going that route, perhaps you can wear your mother’s bridal veil with a new dress. Or you could ask your florist to recreate a replica of your mother’s bridal bouquet. Keep it as a special surprise for the day of the wedding. Your mom is sure to be very touched by the gesture.
There are certain wedding customs that traditionally center around the father of the bride, but they can easily be adapted to include your mother. If you do not have your dad around to walk you down the aisle, why not ask your mother to escort you instead? Or if you do want your dad to walk you, have your mother walk on your other side, like in the Jewish wedding custom. Some brides even have a spotlight dance with their mothers at the wedding reception instead of their father. A variation on that idea could be for the bride to sing a special song to her mother or to read a poem about their relationship during the toasts.
There are countless additional ways you can involve your mother in your wedding. Invite her to the pre-wedding spa day along with your bridesmaids. She deserves some pampering, after all! You might also wish to give your mom a very special present before your wedding, such as a piece of wedding jewelry. Most of all, be sure to ask your mother for her opinion about your wedding plans. It is a simple way to show her how much you value her.
Bridget Mora writes for Silverland Jewelry about wedding customs, wedding etiquette, traditions and more. Visit Silverland Jewelry for the most exquisite collection of crystal and pearl bridal jewelry.
