Mother of the Groom: Part of the Team

June 20, 2023 by Leave a Comment

Mother of the Bride, have you reached out yet to help the mother of the groom feel included in the wedding preparations? Remember, the wedding you’re helping your daughter plan is a very big deal to the mother of your little girl’s beloved too. This is a major milestone and celebration in the life of their family as well.

True, unless the groom’s family is helping in a significant way financially and thus in charge of certain aspects of the wedding, you and your daughter will take care of most of the wedding preparations. However, you can enlist the MOG’s help for certain things.

Here are a few ideas to help make the Mother of the Groom feel like she’s part of the team:

1) Ask her to be in charge of providing the card box/container to use on wedding day for any cards guests may bring.
2) Invite her to help decorate the church and/or reception venue the day before the wedding.
3) Ask if she can provide some needed items such as cake knife and server set (since one will be needed for the groom’s cake as well) or a champagne bucket.
4) If a problem arises with some aspect of the wedding prep, is there some way she might be able to help? If so, call on her.
5) Is there an errand she can run? For example, if you need to find multiple items of a certain component of the centerpieces, can she check to see if more of the items you need are available at the store in her location?

MOB, these are just a few possibilities for including the MOG. I’m sure you’ll be able to think of others. The important thing is to reach out, to make her feel included. The joy will be that much greater during wedding weekend if you’ve built a bond ahead of time. Don’t miss out on this special blessing!

*You might also like to read Kicking Off the In-Law Relationship.

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride check out my Books/My Work page.

*The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, will come out in early August. Sign-up is FREE. *Temporary problem with Life Notes sign-up. To sign up, just contact me.

*Flickr photo by Or Hiltch, Creative Commons License

Filed Under: advice, blessing, bride, encouragement, family, groom, help, kindness, Mother of the Bride, mother of the groom, preparation, team, wedding, wisdom Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Wedding Eve Gift from Bride to Mother-in-Law

September 1, 2020 by Leave a Comment

Mother of the Bride, you and your daughter both have new in-law roles you’ll soon be taking on. As you become mother-in-law to the man who has captured her heart, she’ll become daughter-in-law to the first woman who held his. Both are very special roles that deserve attention.

One way your daughter can nurture the new relationship she’s developing with her groom’s mom is to give her a special gift on the eve of the big day. She may already have thought of it, but if not, why don’t you make the suggestion. It’s just one more way you can help start her marriage and new role with the in-laws off on the right foot.

Possibilities abound for meaningful mother-in-law gifts. Some brides give a lovely framed photo, a personalized bracelet or heart necklace with accompanying message of thanks, or a beautiful vase etched with personal message. Others might give a small personalized keepsake box or music box. These are just a few ideas. Whatever she chooses to give will be sure to touch her new mother-in-love’s heart.

Below you’ll find some links that you can share with your sweet girl, MOB. I bet she’ll quickly spot the perfect idea for her groom’s beloved mom. So share away and be part of the blessing!

MyWedding.com

The Knot – Scroll down to Wedding Gifts section.

American Greetings

Etsy

*You might also like to read Kicking Off the In-Law Relationship, Make the Mother of the Groom Part of the Team and Gift Idea: Prayers for the Mother of the Groom.

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride check out my Books/My Work page.

*The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, will come out in early November. 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.)

*Photo by yuyun fan on Pixabay

Filed Under: advice, bride, family, Gift, groom, Mother of the Bride, new thing, opportunity, preparation, surprise, thanks, unity, wisdom Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Kicking Off the In-Law Relationship

July 11, 2013 by Leave a Comment

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If the prospect of meeting your daughter’s future in-laws puts butterflies in your stomach, rest assured you’re not alone. After all, everyone involved wants this new relationship to start on a positive note so a few nerves are to be expected. The key is to diffuse them as much as possible as soon as possible.

Realizing that this particular social anxiety is completely normal is a good first step toward putting yourself—and others as well—at ease. Just think about it. The other relationships—the bride’s and groom’s, yours and your husband’s relationship with the groom, the groom’s family’s with your daughter—have all had time to grow and develop. But the in-laws’ relationships with one another? In many cases, the parents of the happy couple are meeting for the very first time.

If you fall into the category of in-laws-to-be who have never met before, here’s an idea that works especially well for your initial get-together. Meet for lunch or dinner—along with the bride and groom, of course—at a restaurant of the newly-engaged couple’s choosing and enjoy getting to know one another in a casual, neutral setting.

This works for several reasons:

1. No one has to stress over cooking or trying to guess food preferences.

2. No one has to worry about having a clean house.

3. It takes the pressure off of first impressions concerning where you live or how nice your home is.

4. It will limit you to an hour or two together – the perfect amount of time for a first meeting.

5. The setting itself offers conversation starters such as favorite menu items or favorite restaurants, which in turn can lead to chit chat about where you live or places you’ve visited, etc.

1      So, MOB, no need to fear—relax and go with the restaurant idea as you kick off your relationship with your daughter’s future in-laws. Have a few questions in mind to keep the conversation going and enjoy getting to know this new arm of your family. Maybe it will be the start of a beautiful friendship!

*What other ideas work well for an initial meeting? What are some of your favorite conversation starters?

*Flickr photo byqwazymonkey, Creative Commons License

Filed Under: family, fear, Mother of the Bride, new thing, stress Tagged With: , , , ,