The mother-
Sequence of Dance Partners in Wedding
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.
The groom dances with his mother, and then the groom's parents dance together. The dance floor then opens up to the bridesmaids and groomsmen. At many weddings, each groomsman dances with the bride, and the bridesmaids take turns dancing with the groom.
You can have your parent dances at almost any point during your wedding reception. “The great thing about wedding timelines is that they are unique to every couple,” says Brad Strouse of EastCoast Entertainment, which has offices around the country.
Sometimes, parent dances occur immediately after the first dance. Other times, these dances will take place toward the end of dinner, after the toasts, or after the cake cutting. For heterosexual couples, bride dances with her dad, and then the groom dances with his mom.
Groom. Traditionally, he walks down the aisle solo but some grooms prefer walking down the aisle escorted by both parents. Other grooms prefer a more subtle approach by entering the ceremony from the side of the venue (following the officiant and followed by the groomsmen) to take his place at the altar.
The Groom: The groom proceeds to walk down the aisle accompanied by their parents, with his father on the left and his mother on the right. The Bridesmaids: The bridesmaids then proceed in pairs, starting with those standing farthest from the bride. The Maid or Matron of Honor: The bride's right-hand woman walks alone.
While the father and daughter dance is most common (we asked our brides what their father daughter dance songs are), a mother daughter dance is becoming more popular amongst brides who want to show equal love to both their parents or if the father is no longer in the picture.
The mother of the bride plays the role of hostess, meaning you should spend some time greeting guests during the reception. Although there are exceptions, other wedding-day duties may include sitting at the parents' table and dancing with the father of the bride to help warm up the dance floor.
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 groom chooses his groomsmen and best man and picks their attire. He buys thank-you gifts for his attendants and for the bride. He arranges and pays for the marriage license and the officiant's fee, and he reserves a block of hotel rooms for out-of-town guests.
When it's time to get the dance floor started, the best man should be the first one on. If you're going to be a best man at a wedding, then dance with the bride, the groom, the maid of honor, their parents, grandparents, and other key relatives.
When it comes to involvement in wedding planning, it's usually at the discretion of the couple. There's no expectation that the mother of the groom should be more involved, and they shouldn't take on any additional responsibilities unless the couple asks them to.
Q: Should the Mother of the Groom coordinate her outfit with the Mother of the Bride? A: Traditionally the Mother of the Bride chooses her dress first and notifies the Mother of the Groom so they can coordinate their outfits.
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.
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.
Traditionally, the bride's mother has the honor of selecting her outfit first. Try not to choose colors that are the same or very similar to the bride's and bridesmaids' dresses—you won't stand out. Wear different colors from each other.
Most brides have the father-daughter dance right after their first dance with their spouse. If you don't want to have it after the first dance, other good times to squeeze it in are following the toasts and before the cake cutting.
In many cultures, it's traditional to have both the mother and father walk their daughter down the aisle. Some brides may find this more suitable rather than choosing just one parent to do the honor. If you prefer to be escorted by both your mom and dad, Erb says go for it!
Mother-daughter dances also make a sweet alternative to the more traditional father-daughter dances if your father is deceased or removed from the picture entirely. First, you'll need to pick a mother-daughter dance song that is special, sentimental and meaningful for both of you.
Grandparents of the couple may also sit at the parents' table. The couple may choose to sit with their parents, too. In some cases, the parents may choose to sit at separate tables with close family members or friends.
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.
Traditionally, the parents all sit at the same reception table, along with siblings not in the wedding party, the officiant and his or her spouse (if they attend the reception) and any grandparents.