Your baby is embarking on new territory, one where his primary role as your son will now shift as husband to his new bride. It’s OK to be a little emotional about this new stage in your lives, but know that you still have a role in the wedding. In the past, the MOG (Mother of the Groom) was just supposed to show up on the wedding day, smile and take pictures with the wedding party. But you too have a special function in the nuptials. Here, we offer a list of roles and responsibilities of the Mother of the Groom.
- Host a dinner or luncheon to introduce the groom’s family to the bride’s family
- Research customs of the grooms heritage to suggest for the ceremony (this is only if the couple has decided to incorporate traditions and customs of their ethnic or religious background)
- Host the rehearsal dinner (the groom’s family traditionally pays for this event)
- Create a list of guests from the groom’s side to submit to the bride (remember to stick to the allotted number you are allowed to invite)
- Offer to research wedding vendors (florists, pastry chefs, videographers, etc.) if the bride is having trouble selecting
- Attend bridal showers and offer to help out in any way (cooking, setting up chairs, answering the phone to direct guests to the location, etc.). Don’t forget to bring a gift!
- Recommend songs for the mother/son dance at the reception
- Help serve as a second point of contact if the bride needs an "in case of emergency" name on vendor contracts
- Ask the bride to accompany you when shopping for your MOG dress
- Traditionally, the groom's family pays for the engagement and wedding rings, the rehearsal dinner, the groom’s tux, the bride's bouquet and boutonnieres for the groomsmen, plus transportation to and from the ceremony/reception. However, in today's society there aren’t any hard-and-fast rules to this. As a courtesy, you can just offer to pad costs for anything the couple needs help with.
- Greet guests in the receiving line and introduce friends and family to the bride and her family.
- Light the unity candle during the wedding ceremony
- Help make reservations for out-of-town guests on the groom’s side, if the wedding takes place in the area where the groom’s parents live