It is true that traditional etiquette and customs are the foundation of wedding planning.
Yet at the same time, etiquette does evolve over time, and certain things which may have been properly done one way in the past might now be approached in a new, yet equally appropriate, fashion.
For mothers and daughters planning a wedding together, a difference in opinion about what is proper or improper can turn into a huge point of conflict.
Sort it all out and restore the peace by getting caught up on all the updated wedding etiquette that every mother of the bride should know.
Many of the greatest changes of wedding etiquette have come in the area of wedding attire.
For instance, in the mother's day, brides did not wear strapless gowns for church weddings, yet these days, most bridal gowns in the shops are strapless.
Unless your church or synagogue has specific rules (as Jewish Orthodox synagogues do, for instance), having bare shoulders for a religious ceremony is just fine.
Too much cleavage, however, is still a no-no.
No longer are brides expected to wear perfectly matched ensembles anymore.
An eclectic approach to expressing personal style is well within the realm of good taste and proper etiquette.
So if the bride wants to wear crystal earrings with a pearl necklace, her mom should not fret.
Nor should she worry about the old dictate that sparkly diamond or crystal earrings should only be worn after sundown.
Also out the window are pantyhose, dyed-to-match shoes for bridesmaids, and mother of the bride outfits in the wedding colors.
A big controversy around proper wedding attire still surrounds the issue of wearing black to a wedding.
In many families, this is still considered strictly taboo, but if you happen to go to a wedding in New York, you might be hard pressed to find guests wearing a color other than black.
A good rule of thumb is that the mothers of the bride and groom should definitely avoid black, no matter where the wedding is being held.
A huge shift in traditional wedding etiquette has to do with who pays for it.
For many generations, etiquette dictated that the bride's father paid for everything aside from the bride's bouquet, the wedding rings, rehearsal dinner, and honeymoon.
While it is still common for the father of the bride (these days it is more realistically both parents of the bride) to cover a lot of the wedding expenses, things are no longer set in stone.
Paying for the wedding should be approached practically, with some combination of the bride and groom, her parents, and his parents splitting costs as income and interest allow.
If it is the bride's second time down the aisle, her parents should in no way feel obligated to pay for the event.
Speaking of second weddings, this is another area where there have been a lot of changes in the etiquette department.
A generation or two ago, being divorced was considered to be shameful, with the result that second weddings were expected to be held in private with minimal fanfare.
These days, second (and third and fourth!) weddings are often just as large as first weddings.
It is fine for a second wedding to be lavish and grand if that is what the bride and groom want - and they are willing to pay for it themselves.
A few points of traditional etiquette do still apply, however.
A bride should not not wear a veil if it is her second time down the aisle, showers are reserved for first time brides, and no one is required to give a wedding gift to the same bride or groom twice (though they may if they wish).
While many of the finer points of etiquette have evolved over the years, traditional mothers of the bride will be pleased to learn that many customs remain unchanged.
It is still in poor taste to include bridal registry details in the wedding invitations, all guests who are invited to the ceremony must be invited to the reception, and every wedding gift received deserves a handwritten thank you note.
Above all, being a gracious bride and a thoughtful host never goes out of style.