Godmother And Bridesmaid: What’s The Difference?

Whether it is the mother of the groom or the best friends of the bride, the godmother and the bridesmaids are two important figures, if not almost indispensable to a wedding. These two figures should represent the circle closest to the bride and groom.

In Catholic countries, the figure of the godmother is known to everyone. In particular for its symbolic function during the ceremony. Nevertheless, you have certainly seen in many North American films the presence of a bridesmaid chosen by the bride-to-be.

In some cases, the bridesmaid is one of the little girls in the family who, in front of the bride, leads the way to the altar, throwing flowers. But do you know what is the difference between godmother and bridesmaid and what are their functions?

We explain everything to you here.

Godmother and maid of honor

The bridesmaid and the godmother are two symbolic figures in the tradition of marriage. Although neither of these two figures is accepted in canon or ecclesiastical law, the presence of a godmother and one or more bridesmaids during a wedding is almost an obligation.

If these two figures are important, they nevertheless present great differences. Find out what these differences are later in this article.

The godmother

The godmother is a characteristic figure of the marriages of the Catholic Church. Normally, this is the mother of the groom or another woman in the family who is responsible for accompanying the groom to the altar. Likewise, a godfather must accompany the bride.

Nevertheless, the godmother is not a figure recognized by canon law. He is simply a “guide” accepted by tradition. It is a way of paying homage to the mother of the groom. His role is, in fact, essential on this very special day.

Moreover, its function is not only to accompany the groom to the altar during the ceremony and to remain at his side or in the first row of pews. The godmother should advise the future groom on his costume, she should support him, warmly receive the bride-to-be and, of course, be the hostess of the house and receive congratulations from the guests during the banquet.

Given her protagonist role, the godmother must wear an elegant outfit but without overdoing it. She can choose any color except black or white, white being reserved for the bride.

The maid of honor

The presence of a bridesmaid goes back to an ancient tradition of the Middle Ages. At that time, the bridesmaid was usually a little girl from the family of the bride-to-be who was responsible for accompanying her during the ceremony.

Nevertheless, over time, the tradition has changed. It is no longer necessarily a little girl, but any woman chosen by the bride and known as the flower girl.

Usually, according to tradition, the bridesmaid can be:

• a little girl accompanying the bride
• a friend or relative of the bride who leads the way to the altar by throwing flowers in front of the bride

When it comes to who is leading the way to the altar, the choice of the bridesmaid is really an important choice. It must be someone who is supposed to bring good luck to the bride and groom, which is why she is symbolically leading the way.

Moreover, unlike the figure of the godmother, there may be several bridesmaids. Besides, there is no limit. In any case, the bridesmaids should all dress the same and wear a dress that is not white in color and usually chosen by the bride.

The duties of the bridesmaids

In addition to having to open the way to the altar, the bridesmaids (if they are of age) have other obligations:

• Help the bride organize her wedding and bachelorette party
• Open the way to the altar (by throwing or not throwing flowers), knowing that the floral motif is, in any case, an important motif
• Support and advise the bride on the choice of dress
• Make sure the bride’s dress, hairstyle and makeup are perfect before she enters church
• Adjust the train of the wedding dress once the bride arrives at the altar
• Sitting at the second row of benches during the ceremony

Godmother or maid of honor?

Now you know what the differences are between a wedding godmother and a bridesmaid. By the way, have you noticed anything? The presence of a godmother does not exclude that of a bridesmaid and vice versa.

So, if your partner wants to be accompanied by his mother and if you feel the need to be accompanied by your best friends during the ceremony, you can perfectly enjoy these two figures. The most important thing is that you have the most important people by your side on this day so that they can support you and share this moment with you.