Mother of the Bride Checklist

Some brides love having their Mums alongside them during the wedding process. Others would rather swallow rusty nails before letting their mothers near their invitations. Every bride’s needs are different, so this checklist can be applied in an infinite number of ways. Depending on how involved you’d like your mum to be, you can, of course, add to or subtract from this list – communication is the key to successfully planning your wedding and keeping Mum happy.

(Courtesy bridalguide.com)

9 Months

• Before you even start tackling any of the tasks on your list, sit down with Mum and have a heart-to-heart about what role you expect her to play in planning your wedding. Now is the time to set down clear boundaries. Otherwise, you might have her breathing down your neck for the next nine months, making decisions that you don’t want made, on your behalf. Let her know how involved you’d like her to be and let her know how much you love and appreciate her because, well, that’s always a nice thing to do.

6 Months

• If you’ve asked Mum to help you out with the invitations, this is the time to narrow down the guest list and send out save-the-dates. To take some of the pressure off your plate, you could ask your Mum to sift through invitation designs and give you a handful to choose from.

4 Months 

• If Mum is helping with the bridal party outfits, ask her to lend a hand to the bridesmaids and go on a few shopping trips with them (leaving the final decision up to you, of course).
• Once you’ve settled on the bridesmaids’ dresses, Mum can go shopping for her own outfit. Once she’s found the perfect one, she should let the Mother of the Groom know, so that she can go and buy an outfit that won’t clash.

2 Months

• If Mum’s arranging your bridal shower, ask her if she needs any help arranging things. If she does, ask your Maid of Honour to give her a hand (or help her yourself if you’re not too overwhelmed by it).

1 Month

• Your RSVPs should have all been sent in by now. Check in with your Mum and see if she’s finished doing the seating arrangement. Take a peek at it and make sure it’s all A-OK. Just a glance could prevent World War III – mum might not realise the awkward history that your co-worker has with the best man’s brother.

• Enjoy your bridal shower and take Mum out for coffee, or lunch, to say thank you for all the effort she made to arrange the get-together.

The Day Before

• Enjoy the rehearsal dinner with your Mum, and everyone else who has played such a vital role in putting this monumental event together. Take the opportunity to share with everyone how helpful she’s been, and how much you appreciate every ounce (or rather, calorie) of energy she’s put in.

The Big Day

• Help mum pin her corsage on. Tell her she’s beautiful.

• Enjoy your reception and giggle with your husband about how your mum is buzzing about, loving every second of playing Hostess.