Mother of the Groom Responsibilities

Most commonly the Mother of the Groom is unsure of the role she plays in her son’s wedding.  Traditionally, there are several responsibilities you, as the Mother of the Groom, can fulfill and become an important part of the preliminary wedding preparations.

• Your first responsibility is to contact the bride’s family and introduce yourself to them, if you don’t already know them. This doesn’t have to be formal,  a pleasant phone call will be adequate.  A dinner invitation at your home or one at a nice restaurant will be a welcome gesture of friendship.
• If the bride’s parents live far away, making a dinner invitation impractical, some photos of the groom during parts of his life would be a nice gift to receive.  You may also suggest that the bride’s mother exchange a few photos of her daughter’s life with you.
• Your guest list should be sent to the Mother of the Bride as soon as possible.  It should be accurate and include the correct zip codes.  If you have been given guidelines for the number of guests you can invite, be sure to abide by them.
• You are responsible for making reservations for your out-of-town guests.  You can probably get suggestions for likely hotels or motels near the wedding site from the bride’s mother.  As soon as you know who will be attending the wedding, you should make the reservations.
• The rehearsal dinner is also your responsibility.  It doesn’t have to be a fancy or catered event.  A simple backyard buffet or barbecue will do the job.  You should invite everyone involved in the wedding ceremony, including their spouse or significant other.  If children are taking part in the wedding, their parents need an invitation also.
• If you plan to attend the bridal shower, buy a gift and offer to assist the Mother of the Bride.  If you cannot attend the shower, send your gift early enough to arrive for the party.
• If your son wants to blend some family or ethnic traditions into his wedding day, help him make arrangements and decisions.
• Since it is not considered good manners for the couple to solicit gifts, find out where they are registered and tell your family and friends about it.

Weddings are joyous occasions for all involved.  The planning can take
months to accomplish and make the wedding day a glorious event for all involved.  As the Mother of the Groom, you will have a special place in both the ceremony and at the reception. Offer to assist the Mother of the Bride in anyway you can.  Otherwise, enjoy the start of a new family and dream of your future grandchildren!

Choosing A Wedding Photographer

Choosing the right wedding photographer is critically important because this is the person that will capture your wedding memories.  For most couples, this is one area of wedding planning that  should be allowed to stretch the budget, if possible.

There is no comparison between a highly qualified professional wedding photographer and an amateur photographer.  Unless you are on an extremely tight budget, you’ll want to consider using a professional photographer before resorting to asking a friend or family member with minimal photography experience.

These are a few benefits of using a professional wedding photographer:

• A professional wedding photographer is experienced at working in various settings and will be able to take full advantage of the lighting conditions available at the time, no matter what the weather conditions.
• A professional wedding photographer is also experienced with working with people’s needs,  including putting the bride and groom at ease in front of the camera.
• A good wedding photographer is naturally a very personable individual and knows how to bring out the best in others photogenically.  This ensures that you receive the picture perfect images of your wedding that you desire.
• Most professional wedding photographers will provide a stunning portfolio of your memories at the completion of their contract with you.  This portfolio will likely contain wedding prints that you can share and cherish for many years to come with family and friends.

Putting money aside for a highly qualified wedding photographer is always money well spent.  When you consider the fond memories that their photographs will give you and future generations, their professional photography fees can always be considered money well spent.

Stress Free Wedding Planning

Stress Free Wedding Planning – Taking Time Out

Planning for a wedding at the best of times can be stressful, especially if you haven’t left enough time to organize everything properly.

Take some time to relax,  do something different,  or whatever you enjoy doing the most.  Taking a short break from making wedding plans can actually  help you to get more done in a shorter amount of time than if you continue without a break.

Preparing for a wedding should be fun, not a chore.  It should bring you,  your partner,  family and friends closer together.  Taking time out every now and then is a good thing!

Don’t sweat the small details constantly.  Refresh your mind, your body and your soul frequently and on the big wedding day itself, you might just be surprised at how well your wedding plans came together.

Remaining Calm During Wedding Planning

It is almost inevitable that wedding planning will become stressful at some point.  When this happens, do your best to remain calm at all times.

Try to remember that there are only solutions, not problems.  Sometimes, even the best wedding plans can go awry.

If by some unfortunate circumstance, something does go seriously wrong, try to maintain a sense of humor, keep calm and have someone prepared in advance to help handle wedding plan emergencies.

Your ultimate goal is to enjoy your wedding day with your life partner, so don’t let anyone or anything spoil that very special moment.

By remaining calm and having a person ready to help with emergencies in advance, you can greatly reduce the likelihood of anything negative happening on your wedding day.