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.
Your parents can also be considered part of your wedding party as they give speeches and may help pay for the big day. Of course, who is in your wedding party is up to you and your partner.
A bridal party typically consists of the maid or matron of honor, bridesmaids, and the mother and father of the bride. What is a groom's party? The groom's party is the men's wedding party with the best man, groomsmen, and the groom's parents.
Traditional Christian Wedding Processional Order
The Bride's Mother: The mother of the bride's entrance signals that the processional is about to begin. Once they reach the end of the aisle, they take their seat to the left of the aisle in the first row.
As the mother of the groom, in addition to helping the couple with select planning tasks, you'll have an important role in the wedding party on the big day. Because of this, you'll need a special outfit for the nuptials.
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.
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.
2. 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.
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.
Yes, you should totally invite them to be bridesmaids and groomsmen. Most of the time, your wedding is about YOU. However, your future siblings in law are family – and even though you might not get along with them as amazingly well as you do with your BFF, you should still invite them to the wedding party.
Bridesmaids are members of the bride's party in a Western traditional wedding ceremony. A bridesmaid is typically a young woman and often a close friend or relative. She attends to the bride on the day of a wedding or marriage ceremony. Traditionally, bridesmaids were chosen from unwed young women of marriageable age.
This exclusive group, often referred to as maids of honor and bridesmaids, is cherished because they spend special time with you before you tie the knot. They are all responsible for so many other pieces that go into planning and executing the bride's dream wedding. So it is apt that they get ready with the bride-you.
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.
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.
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, 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.
As Sarah Chianese, the owner and executive chef of Mangia and Enjoy! says, your mom absolutely can be your maid of honor, since this role is typically given to the bride's closest friend, and in some cases, your mom actually is your BFF!
The bride's gown is usually in shades like ivory or champagne, so make sure that you don't choose any shade of white. If you want to wear neutral colors, go for off-white, beige, taupe, and grey, as they are a different shade from a traditional bridal gown.
Having a child get married is a huge milestone for any mom, but it's crucial to remember that this is her child's big day, not hers. The mother of the bride's role is to support the couple in their decision making and provide input when asked, not take control of the wedding, or be overbearing.
Traditionally speaking, your mother will be on the front as mentioned above (with her significant other if in attendance), and her immediate family will be directly behind her in the next row back. This generally would place your stepmother on the third row back in the second seat from the aisle.
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.
She can spend the morning with the bride.
Regardless of your current relationship with your future mother-in-law, she'll inevitably become a major part of your life after the wedding. Inviting her to get ready together encourages bonding and makes her feel included in the celebration.
Who Pays for the Mother-of-the-Bride and Groom's Beauty Team? 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.