Many people have a dilemma when it comes to including their parents in their wedding planning. Many couples are extremely close to their parents and want them to be included in some way while others might want to appease their parents but don’t necessarily want them to be standing next to them throughout the whole process. However, traditional weddings don’t necessarily support this. Most weddings are structured as having your friends or maybe siblings included in the planning and the wedding while the parent’s rolls are to be walked down by the groom or walk to bride down the isle at most. As time goes on, however, couples are finding ways to include their parents in the planning and even in the wedding. Here are the best ways to get your parents involved in the process:
Ways to Include Your Parents in the Wedding Planning
Best Man/Maid of Honor
A non-traditional way to include your parents in your wedding is to make them the best man or maid of honor. This may be pretty non-traditional but it is becoming increasingly popular and overall much more common than it once was! Many couples are opting to make their parents the head of the wedding party as it’s who they consider themselves closest to.
It makes sense, the best man and maid of honor roll is reserved for those that you’re typically closest to, and if you’re closest to your parents then there’s no reason to make them anything less! There’s really no way of making your parents more involved than the best man or maid of honor.
Have Them Plan the Rehearsal
The most traditional role for parents would be planning the rehearsal. Parents have been involved in planning the rehearsal for a long time. It’s a great way to get them involved in the wedding without much risk as to how the wedding day itself will actually turn out. Plus, it will take a ton of stress off of your plate as it frees you up to worry about other wedding stressors!
Use Mementoes From Their Wedding
One amazing way to involve your parents in the wedding beyond just the planning is to use little things from their wedding in your wedding! We’ve seen awesome ways people have done this from the little things like the tie around the flowers that made the bouquet to even altering and redesigning the wedding dress your mother wore at her wedding.
It doesn’t need to pertain only to physical items either! You could play their first dance song at some point during the dinner or during the open dance to recreate a piece of their wedding and use it in yours. This makes them feel extremely special as you have actually incorporated a piece of their special day in yours and connected the two!
Invite Them to Say Something
Speeches are pretty common at wedding receptions with your parents. However, there are other ways they can speak at your wedding! For example, you could invite them to say a few words at the ceremony. It’s pretty common for family or friends to give a couple of readings at the ceremony and you could easily invite parents to give readings at the ceremony for you!
Invite Them to Appointments During Planning
A fun way to include your parents (and even other members of your wedding party) is to invite them to different appointments you have. Your mother will love being there as you try on dresses but both of your parents may really enjoy touring different venues with you and I’m sure no one will refuse to come to a cake tasting! Inviting your parents to selective tours and appointments is a really fun way to include them since it makes each appointment feel exciting like an event you’re inviting others to be a part of!
Give Them Some Responsibility (If They Want It)
Many times, parents want to manage certain pieces of the wedding planning process. For some, this is a burden as you might find yourself clashing with your parents’ ideas on how they want the wedding to go. However, you could absolutely give them responsibility for certain wedding details or some logistical things to make the wedding run smoothly.
For example, you could let them take charge of making sure that out-of-town guests know where to go, what to do, and how to spend their time while they’re in town! We’ve seen out-of-town guests get such things as a “welcome to town” packet that outlined some things to do while they were in town. Things like this can really give your parents a sense of responsibility when it comes to the wedding and you’ll be able to include them in the process while taking care of some wedding stresses in the process!
Complete Weddings + Events Orlando
Complete in Orlando loves working with couples and their parents to create a wedding that is perfect for you and your guests! We offer DJ, photography, videography, photo booth, and uplighting! Learn more about our services here and get started on planning your wedding with us!