Godmother’s Duties At The Wedding

Traditionally, the wedding godmother is the groom’s mother, who helps with certain aspects of the wedding ceremony. The duties of a godmother generally depend on what the wedding is like. Do you know the duties of an aunt? Do you know why this role is so important? In this article, we discuss four of a godmother’s responsibilities at a wedding.

Godparents and the church

In some traditional weddings, a woman, usually the groom’s mother, places her son on the altar  and stays by his side throughout the ceremony, welcoming guests and making sure everything goes well and so on. This is the “godmother” of the wedding.

Although godparents are mandatory in other sacraments of Catholicism, in canon law they are not considered mandatory in the sacrament of marriage. Their role in weddings is thus a more symbolic and generally accepted tradition.

Godparents can also be wedding witnesses if they wish. In this case, it is no longer a matter of religion but of law, and they are required to be of legal age. 

Godmother’s duties

The godmother is therefore often part of the Catholic wedding tradition. In this sense, a person has certain responsibilities, even if they are not official. We present them below.

Godmother’s duties: to help the groom choose a costume

One of the godmother’s most important tasks is to help the groom choose the right dress for the wedding day. Most of the time, the godmother also pays for it.

In addition, since the godmother is a key figure in the wedding, her own outfit must also meet certain criteria. She needs to look stylish and avoid dressing in black or white.

Bringing the groom to the altar

This is, of course, the most emotional moment. The godmother must bring the groom to the altar by the arm, soothing and inspiring her to the new life that will soon await her with his wife.

Joining a godfather when leaving church

The groom arrives with the godmother and the bride’s godmother before they are officially declared husband and wife. After the ceremony, the newlyweds leave the church together.

For this reason  , a new tradition has emerged in which the godfather and the godmother leave the church together just behind the bridal couple. The godfather is usually to the right of the godmother, and guests also congratulate them on their departure.

Godmother’s duties: to host the wedding party

The godmother is traditionally the central figure in a Catholic wedding – although of course not as important as the bridal couple themselves! For this reason, she usually sits next to the bridal couple at the front desk  to ensure that all the guests are comfortable and well.

Another tradition is that the  godmother helps with every detail of the wedding preparation  (from floral decorations to the wedding celebrations themselves).