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 wedding essentials 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 wedding essentials 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 wedding essentials 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 wedding
planning 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