Parents' Duties

Bride's Father

In the past a big responsibility of the bride's fathers dealt with the financial aspects of the wedding and surrounding events. Today many brides and grooms are more independent and take it upon themselves to pay for 1/2, if not all of the expenses themselves. 

• On the wedding day, the bride is accompanied to the church by her father.
• The bride's father escorts his daughter up the aisle and gives her away during the ceremony.
• If the couple plans on a wedding breakfast, the father will sit next to the bride at the main table during the wedding breakfast.
• The bride's father makes the first speech at the wedding breakfast (this is when he makes a toast to the bride and groom.

Bride's Mother

The bride's mother helps her daughter with every aspect of the wedding that the daughter includes her in.  Such aspects she helps her daughter with  include but are not limited to; the wedding arrangements and decisions, compilation of the guest list, and sending out invitations.  The mother should help in any way possible while keeping in mind that this is her daughter's day..

• The mother of the bride not only stands proudly watching her little girl get married, but she also sees to it that all arrangements are carried out as planned.
• The mother of the bride also stands in the receiving line to greet the guests, along with her husband.

Groom's Parents

Although the groom's parents are just as important as the bride's, there are no traditional roles that the groom's parents carry out on this special day. It is also important to make sure that the groom's parents don't feel left out of this joyous event. Today, it isn't unusual for the groom's parents to make a considerable contribution to the event, where as in the past, it was said that it should be a wedding obligation of the bride's family. As said previously it is even more common to see many independent couples who take it upon themselves to pay for 1/2, if not all of the expenses themselves. On the part of the bride, it is in great taste to ask the advice and approval of her future in-laws, and to make sure they are included in as much of the wedding preparations as possible.

Links of Interest:

Parents' Gifts