Mother of the Groom

While you may imagine that as the grooms mother you only need to turn up on the wedding day, nothing could be further from the truth. Whilst you don't play such a major role as the mother of the bride, you still have an important part to play in helping your son prepare for his wedding day.

From the announcement of the engagement, you may be involved in helping to throw a celebratory party.

Sometime between the engagement and the wedding, it's considered etiquette for both sets of parents to meet to get to know each other a little better. This could be over a meal at a restaurant, but somewhere with a relaxed atmosphere would be best.

In the run up to the big day, your son may wish to have you help him choosing his suit or tuxedo and accessories. You'll also need to go shopping for your own dress, after checking with the brides mother that you won't clash with her outfit.

On the day itself, you'll need to make sure you're dressed early, with your corsage in place. It's considered a courtesty to arrive at the wedding venue early - it's not customary for the grooms mother to arrive in one of the wedding cars. However, you're likely to be sat on the front row as well as witnessing the signing of the register.
At the reception, you and your husband, if you are married, are likely to be in the receiving line for guests, and then sat on the top table with the bride and groom.

When the happy couple leave to go on their honeymoon, you'll be there to say goodbye, and throw even more confetti!

Afterwards there may be some tidying up required as well as any hired suits needing to be returned.

All that you need to do when it's all over is make sure you don't forget to create a lovely wedding album full of photos that you can treasure through the years!