Can Your Mom Be a Bridesmaid?

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She'll be by your side as you're planning, be the first to tear up when you find THE dress, and have a seat of honor at the ceremony. But what if you feel like your mom deserves more recognition than that, and you want her standing by your side during your wedding? Our experts weigh in on whether to make mom a bridesmaid.

It's unconventional, but there's nothing to stop you from asking your mother to be a bridesmaid in addition to her role as mother of the bride. In fact, if you're planning on asking her to join the bridal party, you may want to make her your matron of honor, or ask her to share the duties with your closest friend, to really acknowledge the role she's played in your life.


If you do ask your mom to join your bridesmaids, think about how you'd like her to be involved (as well as what you think she'll be excited about and comfortable with). Chances are she'll jump at the chance to help plan your bridal shower and bustle your dress before the reception, but consider whether the bachelorette party you've dreamed of is one she'd like to attend. She may want to treat her matron of honor status as more of a celebratory title than her role in the wedding (since being the MOB comes with its own list of to-dos) and skip the hen 'do, or she might want to be there for all the festivities.

Either way, be sure to discuss what you've got in mind, as well as what her expectations are, up front: You might want to redistribute some of the matron of honor duties to other bridesmaids to make sure there isn't too much on your mom's plate. That way you won't be disappointed if she's less involved than you'd hoped — or surprised when mom's buying a round of shots at the bachelorette party!