Pre-Ceremony Wedding Day Prayer Idea: The Mother of the Bride Prays for the Bride

Mother of the Bride, before your precious daughter says I do on her wedding day, why not send her off into her next stage of life with a prayer? What could be more meaningful than a prayer falling from the lips of the one who has loved her, watched over her, taught her, and encouraged her from the moment she was born? Yes, dear MOB, you are that treasured. Your prayer will bless her in a way that no one else’s can.

On the big day, after your little-girl-turned-bride is all dressed and waiting with her bridesmaids for the appointed time to get into place, have everyone get in a circle and hold hands while you pray for your darling daughter and the love of her life.

You may want to give your prayer some thought ahead of time and make mental note of the things you want to mention so you won’t forget something important to you. After all, your brain may be on overload by the time you reach go-time. Or on the other hand, you may prefer to let it all come naturally in the moment from the overflow of your heart. Do what works best for you. There is no right or wrong way.

One thing is certain—your prayer asking for God’s blessing and protection and for encouraging their total, sold-out commitment to each other and to God will undergird your sweet girl with strength and love and send her off into her new life with the complete support and blessing of her mom. What better gift could be given? I only wish someone had suggested it to me when my girls got married. We missed this special time together because I simply didn’t think about it. But you don’t have to miss it, Mother of the Bride. Now you’ve heard the idea!

So MOB, gift your daughter—and yourself—with this once in a lifetime moment and memory. And rest assured that God will use your send-off prayer in mighty and wonderful ways!

*You might also like to read A Prayer for the Newlyweds, A Prayer for the Bridesmaids’ Luncheon, and Wedding Resource: Prayers for the Mother of the Bride

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride and also my Wedding Inspiration cards, check out my Books/My Work page.

*The new issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, came out last week. It’s not too late to receive it. Sign-up is free and to the right! (If you’re on a mobile device, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click View Full Site to find it.)

*Stephtphotography photo of my nephew’s beautiful bride Kaitlynn and her sweet mom Shannon

Wedding Send-Off Option: Flower Petals!

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Mother of the Bride, one of the myriad of details you’ll need to ask the bride and groom is what they want to do for their send-off. Do they want to do it right after the ceremony or would they rather wait until after the reception?

Their send-off decision might be based on which venue will allow them to do what they have in mind, or they might decide based on how many of the guests they want to include. Fewer guests will be on hand when the big party is over, but it might feel more like a real send-off  to do it when they’re heading off to their honeymoon rather than when they leave their ceremony venue.

Whether celebrating the send-off from the ceremony site or from the reception site, one fun and beautiful option is to use flower petals. As pictured above, the flower petals can be put in paper cones, and the shower of colorful petals will not only be a beautiful sight, it will provide a fantastic photo and memory for years to come.

Almost all colors of artificial flower petals are available now, but if you’d like to use fresh, be sure to check with your venue site to see if they’re allowed in the area you want to use them. Some venues might not want fresh flower petals ground into a particular surface as guests walk over them after the petals have been tossed. Always double-check things like this so you’re not surprised by any extra fees later.

So MOB, do you think your sweet couple will like the flower petal send-off idea? Throw it out as an option and see what they say. And if you’re lucky, you can check that detail off your list next!

*You might also like to read Great Send-off For the Bride and Groom: Fireworks! 

*The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter, will come out in early May. Sign-up is free and to the right!

*Flickr photo by Ryan Smith Photography, Creative Commons License

Wedding Photo Idea: Black and White Bubble Shot

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Mother of the Bride, I’ve got a great Wedding Day photo idea for you today. I hope you and the happy couple are keeping a list of must-have shots to share with your photographer. If so, you might want to add this to your list today.

If your daughter and her groom have decided to use bubbles during their send-off from the church or reception site, make sure you ask the photographer to use a black and white photo finish.

As you can see in the photo above, this shot done in black and white really causes the bubbles to stand out. I love how it almost makes them look like snow falling. I also love how the couple is kissing in the shot above. The perfect touch, right? So ask your sweet couple to do the same. I’m sure they’ll be happy to oblige!

Show this photo to your daughter and her beloved, MOB, and see what they think. If they haven’t decided on what to use during the send-off, they may decide to go with bubbles just to get this shot!

*You might also like to read Engagement Photo Idea: Show Off the Ring, Bridal Portraits: Include Some Artsy Shots, and Engagement Photo Idea: Playground Fun.

*Be sure to enter the Back At It Giveaway over on my home page. Deadline to enter is 6 p.m. (Central) August 26.

*The new issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter, came out earlier this month. It’s not too late to receive it. Sign-up is free and to the right!

*Flickr photo by Corey Ann, Creative Commons License