Katie Martin - The Mother of the Bride Guide: A Modern Moms Guide to Wedding Planning

Avon, Massachusetts

Copyright 2016 by F+W Media, Inc.

All rights reserved.

This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher; exceptions are made for brief excerpts used in published reviews.

Published by

Adams Media, a division of F+W Media, Inc.

57 Littlefield Street, Avon, MA 02322. U.S.A.

www.adamsmedia.com

Contains material adapted from The Everything Mother of the Bride Book, 4 th Edition by Katie Martin, copyright 2015 by F+W Media, Inc., ISBN 10: 1-4405-8820-1, ISBN 13: 978-1-4405-8820-4.

ISBN 10: 1-4405-9829-0

ISBN 13: 978-1-4405-9829-6

eISBN 10: 1-4405-9830-4

eISBN 13: 978-1-4405-9830-2

Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book and F+W Media, Inc. was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been printed with initial capital letters.

Cover design by Frank Rivera.

Cover and interior images: iStockphoto.com/Tatiana_Kost.

Your daughter has met the one and is engagednow she needs your help to plan the big day. But what exactly does a mother of the bride do?

If youre unsure of how to prepare for your important (and exciting) role as mother of the bride, dont worry. The Mother of the Bride Guide will fill you in on all the MOB duties from the traditional to the modern, including how to:

• Use social media to share ideas with your daughter and be prepared for vendor meetings
• Communicate and work with the mother of the groom
• Help your daughter organize the vendors, schedules, and payments
• Plan pre- and post-wedding parties and events (and be a gracious host)
• Handle delicate family situations
• Help the bridesmaids shine at the shower
• Make your daughters wedding as special as it can be

And the list goes on! Yet as hectic as planning a wedding can be at times, its an opportunity like no otherto be involved in your daughters important day, and to reconnect with her on a tremendously personal level. Its the stuff that moms dream of, and its about to happen for you. Take the time to really enjoy it. When the day winds down and your daughter goes off to start her new life, you will have all these priceless memories of this time you two spent together.

From juggling the guest list to watching your daughter try on dozens of dresses, the mother-of-the-bride role can be a busy one, but it will also be one of the most rewarding jobs of your life. Congratulations, Momlets get planning!

Well, she did it. Your daughter looked high and low and actually found the perfect man for her, and he, in turn, gave her a ring to make it official. Your baby girl is engaged! Congratulations! Now what? Mothers of the bride usually play a big role in planning the wedding. Your daughter will most likely turn to you as her number one resource for helping her design the wedding of her dreams. Whether youre an old hand at planning parties or you hate the very idea of getting organized and making call after call after call, chances are youre going to end up doing at least some of the work, and the sooner you get started, the better. Youll need to begin at the beginning by first helping your daughter spread her happy news.

Before your daughter and her fianc start shouting from the rooftops, spreading their engagement news far and wide, who should be told privately first? (Or, actually, secondafter you?) Its important that the people closest to them hear about their upcoming wedding before the rest of the world does. This might mean that you have to sit on this information until both families have seen the ring with their own eyes.