Get To Know Four Essential Duties Of A Godmother

Traditionally, a godmother is the groom’s mother who assists with certain aspects of the wedding ceremony. In general, the duties of the godmother depend on the type of wedding. Do you know what they are? Do you know why this role is so important? In this article we discuss four tasks of a godmother.

Godparents and the Church

Traditionally, in Spanish weddings, the parents of the bride and groom are the godparents. When it comes to traditional weddings, we can all imagine a woman, usually the mother of the groom, who brings her son to the altar.

She then stays by his side throughout the ceremony, welcoming guests, helping things run smoothly, and so on. This is the godmother. While this role may seem very important from a functional point of view, it is much more important from a religious point of view.

Indeed, a godmother also exists in other sacraments, such as baptism and confirmation. They appear in canon law and serve as ‘support’. However, godfathers are not thought of during a wedding.

Instead, the godfather spiritually “assists” in the initiation of the faith as an obligatory figure during baptism and Holy Communion. Nevertheless, canon law does not regard them as necessary for the sacrament of marriage.

Their role is therefore more symbolic and an accepted tradition and not necessary for the ceremony. In any case, the requirements to be godparents under canon law are:

• You must be at least 16 years old.
• being Catholic. You must also be confirmed and have received Holy Communion.
• Have had no canonical punishment.
• Nor can you be the parent of those who are baptized, confirmed, or receive Holy Communion. However, since the godfather is not technically accepted but rather is a marriage tradition, godfathers can be the parents of the bride and groom. However, this is not necessary.

Is the witness the same as the godmother?

No, it’s not definitely the same. The witness is not a religious figure, but the person legally required to confirm the marriage. It is therefore normal in most weddings for the godparents to be witnesses too if they wish. However, the witnesses can also be someone else.

Since the witnesses do not have to be religious, they are there for legal purposes. They therefore do not have to be Catholic or baptized by the Church. By law, they only need to have sufficient legal capacity (being of age) to witness the marriage and sign the deed.

Four tasks of a godmother

As we have seen, it is traditional to have a godmother at many Catholic weddings. In that sense, they have some important duties, despite being unofficial. Let’s take a look at them.

Duties of the godmother: help the groom choose a suit

The godmother guides the groom in choosing his wedding suit. Helping the groom choose his suit for the wedding day is one of the most important tasks. She usually pays for it too. In any case , she must help the groom to make the right decision.

That’s not all, however. The godmother has a key role in a wedding. Her outfit must therefore also meet specific standards. She should look elegant and be well dressed…and never wear black or white.

Escort the groom to the altar

This is, of course, the most emotional moment. The godmother must walk the groom through the altar, take him by the arm, reassure him and enthuse him about the new life he and his wife are about to begin.

Join the godfather as you leave the church

The groom arrives with the godmother and the bride with the godfather before they are officially announced as husband and wife. After the ceremony, the newlyweds leave the church together.

This started a new tradition where the godfather and godmother leave the church together, just behind the bride and groom. The godfather is usually to the right of the godmother and both are also congratulated by the guests as they leave.

Duties of the godmother: hosting the wedding

The godmother is considered one of the main hostesses of the wedding. Traditionally, the godmother is a key figure at a wedding.

Although not as important as the bride and groom of course! She therefore usually sits next to the bride and groom at the reception to ensure that all guests feel good and have fun.

Another tradition is that the godmother should also help in the choice and preparation of all the details of the wedding (from the floral decoration to the reception). Do you want to get married in a church? Do you know who your godmother will be?