Moms: Get Involved! (Without Stepping on the Bride's Toes)

Filed under: The Bridal Party

Getty Images

The minute that diamond ring is on the bride-to-be's finger, some moms (not YOU, of course!) lose their minds, forget all about decorum and take off at 200 miles per hour to "help" with the wedding plans. ("Help?" Ha!) And by the time the sun rises the next morning, that the mother of the bride with the impulse-control problem has all of the plans made, the sites booked, the vendors on speed dial, the bouquets designed and the seating chart already done in a cute, interactive spreadsheet that lets you Photoshop your guests' photos into their places at each table. And set little drink icons in front of each of them.

What you get in that scenario is a steaming-mad bride and perhaps a couple who break their own land-speed records to book a destination wedding and leave you at home.

Don't let your excitement get you cut out of the planning. You can get involved without stepping on the bride's toes, without embarking upon a one-upmanship game against "the other side" as you determine who gets to plan what, and without doing anything you'll regret later.

Here are the top tips for getting yourself invited into the planning circle -- and remaining welcome to stay there:

• First, let the couple breathe. They just got engaged! Now is the time to celebrate their big news, applaud the groom for his creative marriage proposal, share the joy of letting family know your baby's gotten engaged, pop champagne cork....
  

  Source : http://www.aisledash.com