Mother of the Bride

It seems that mothers of the bride are back in the game! For a while there, MoB's were nudged out of the picture by bride-and-groom planning teams. The independence of the couple meant that moms were no longer Wedding Planner #2 (or #1 in some egos), so we saw a lot of Moms being relegated to favor-making and icing cupcakes. Who dreams about THAT? Given that etiquette still holds that mothers shouldn't host showers, Moms were pretty much out in the cold. But now, they're back. In a big way. They're bringing their skills and contacts to the table. They're spending as much time looking for their gowns and accessories as the bride does. They're saving the day left and right, advising on family traditions, giving the right spelling of relatives' names, discovering the perfect locations, suggesting the perfect caterers. Welcome back, Moms! From idea specialist to support system to mediator and diplomacy expert, a mother's work is never done. My book "The Mother of the Bride Book" has details on every step of wedding planning partnering for the mothers, and if there's one thing I wish I had added, it's FUNNY stories from MoBs and the brides. In the back of the book, I have horror stories -- like the mother who stormed out of the reception because her view of the main table was blocked, the mother who tripped the father's new girlfriend, and various soap opera-ish diva dramas. My readers love these stories, of course, but I've heard so many great anecdotes of brides and their moms bonding, laughing, building great memories now that partnering on the wedding plans is something moms and daughters are doing again. As one mom put it: "I've been dreaming of her wedding day since the moment I gave birth to her." When you have that kind of longtime dream, you deserve more than icing cupcakes. Hmmmm....I have a great idea for a new contest. Stay tuned...