My son is engaged!

[teacups]

Oh my... I have no idea what I should be doing as the mother of the groom.

 

[Liberty Belle]

Congratulations!

I'll tell you one thing you should do...be nice to the bride. I could tell you stories about my MIL.

 

[turkeymama]

Well, I think traditionally, the groom's family is responsible for the reception. However, my MIL helped me do some stuff for the wedding. She only had boys and really wanted to be involved.

So I would get with your son and his fiancee and discuss what type of reception they had in mind. I found out that my husband and I had very different expectations than my BIL. We wanted a small reception with finger foods and cake in the back of the church. My BIL wanted a reception at a banquet hall, complete with a DJ, dancing, and alcohol.

If you have a close relationship with the fiancee, you can probably get away with being a lot more involved if that is what you want. I think these days, a lot of the tradition stuff gets thrown out the window.

 

[turkeymama]

Congratulations!

I'll tell you one thing you should do...be nice to the bride. I could tell you stories about my MIL.

I agree with this advice as well. My MIL was wonderful from day one, but some of his other family members weren't so nice. Eleven years later, I still can't stand that cousin of his. If you make the bride mad on her wedding day, it will stick with her forever. Trust me on this one, not that you would do something like that.

 

[trip]

The old saying was something about the mother of the groom should buy a beige dress and keep her mouth shut.

 

[teacups]

The old saying was something about the mother of the groom should buy a beige dress and keep her mouth shut.

I dont see ME doing either of those
I will be nice to the bride though. Ive had two MIL's ...one from hell and one sweet. I will not be a MIL from hell.

 

[minniecarousel]

Yeah - I work hard at NOT being the MIL from HELL!

I think I have pretty good relationships with my DDILs. (I like to say that my boys are some other woman's problem now!)

As MOG, you defer to the MOB as to the color of your dress. (She chooses her color first, then you discuss the color of your dress with your future DDIL.)

The old line of the parents of the groom just pay for the rehearsal dinner is passe. We hepled pay for the receptions and honeymoons. Younger DS watched and waited to see what we paid toward older DS's wedding. (DH & I have a history of playing the "even-up" game. Just something we've always done - the boys never asked for us to do this.)

The Mother/Son Dance is fun. We took a few dancing lessons before our first got married. Our sons' weddings were only 17 months apart.

Congrats, Mom! it's amazing to me how fast the years flew by. It seems like only yesterday we were doing Cub Scouts & Little League.

 

[jaycat]

No tips but Congratulations!!!!

 

[minniebeth]

Congratulations!!!

 

[mickeyboat]

Congrats!

 

[Keli]

My daughter just married in June. My new son in law's mother was nice and polite and although she didn't participate in the planning of the wedding (dd didn't really need that and her future MIL lives hundreds of miles away) when they got here for the rehersal and wedding she was very, very helpful. Jumping in any time a hand was needed. Came across as eager to be a part of everything but not trying to take over in any way. Probably the perfect MIL.

Forgot to add: Congratulations!