Suddenly, your daughter comes to you and announces that she's getting married. Maybe you saw it coming, already knew it was going to happen or were completely stunned to hear this announcement. Nonetheless, as her mother, you have now assumed the role of mother of the bride. Now, a wedding has to be planned and chances are, your daughter is ready to go all out for her special day. As the mother of the bride, you do have some obligations. Of course, tradition has dwindled as the years have gone on, so don't feel that you have to stick to tradition if it simply isn't possible. Traditionally, the parents of the bride pay most of the costs related to the wedding. That's the first matter of business for the father and mother of the bride. Determine whether or not you can afford to take on the wedding expenses. If so, perhaps you want to set some limits. If not, ask what else you can do in order to assist with the wedding plans and offer to pay for some smaller items that will be needed at the wedding. Perhaps you can pay for the DJ, the cake or decorations.

The mother of the bride must look radiant on her daughter's special day. Now, you're not supposed to look more beautiful or stunning than the bride, but it is a special day for the mother of the bride too. A lot of people will be congratulating you and approaching you on the wedding day. Millions of photographs will be taken, so everyone wants to look their best. When picking out a mother of the bride dress, make sure to ask the bride what she has in mind and if possible, take her along for fittings and to help pick out what she may possibly want for you to have and wear.

Sometimes, dress shops will have designated mother of the bride dresses for some hefty prices. Keep in mind that you don't have to purchase your dress from a dress shop. Lots of regular department stores sell formal dresses for certain times of the year. Guaranteed, those dresses will be less money than a dress in a dress store. However, if the bride has picked out something specific in a particular store, you may want to honor her by getting it. If you truly cannot afford it, remind her that you are on a budget and see if you can find something similar. If she is still adamant, find a way to pay for it and just make the purchase. Just remember, this is her special day and it involves cooperation, love and support from the mother of the bride. Once you feel the tears start flowing at their wedding, every hassle will disappear and you'll be the happiest mother of the bride in the world.