Visit Martha Stewart Weddings Weddings Wedding Planning & Advice Wedding Party Mother of the Bride 55 Heartwarming Mother-Daughter Wedding Photos By Gabriella Rello Gabriella Rello Instagram Website Gabriella is the deputy digital editor for MarthaStewart.com. Editorial Guidelines Updated on May 16, 2019 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Elizabeth Messina There's nothing quite like the bond between a mother and her daughter. Your mom has been your biggest cheerleader from the very beginning—when you were just a hope and dream, from the first day she held you in her arms, when she watched you march off to school, and, especially, on your wedding day. In honor of Mother's Day, we asked some of our favorite photographers to share their most memorable mother-daughter wedding photos. From getting ready photos—including one adorable mother-daughter duo in matching pajamas!—and walks down the aisle to mother-daughter dances and emotional portraits, we cannot get enough of these super sweet photos. Even better, each photographer shared what they loved most about the image, giving us a little peek into the worlds shared by these mother's and their radiant daughters. We even have a few photos of moms with their sweet little ones, showing just how special it is to share your wedding day with a child of your own. As you pay tribute to all of the moms out there, check out these adorable, hysterical, heartwarming, and tear-jerking (you've been warned!) photos of mom's and their daughters on the big day. Happy Mother's Day, Moms! "This stunning bride, Jaime, took some time to dance and spin with her daughter between portraits. Jaime and her husband Evan Longoria and their two beautiful children shared so much love and joy on their wedding day." —Elizabeth Messina 01 of 54 Giving Away the Bride Annie McElwain "I love this photo of the mother of the bride walking her daughter down the aisle. In my opinion, it's great how the tradition of 'giving away the bride' has transformed more into a more modern and loving act of support by the bride's mother. Plus, I love that these two are simply glowing with happiness." —Annie McElwain 02 of 54 Tears of Joy Shaun Menary Photography "If you couldn't tell, these two are joined at the hip. We LOVE this photo simply because you can feel how joyful Rukshana is and how much she loves her daughter. This sweetness happened right after the ceremony with Rukshana and Assia embracing one another with tears of joy, and it makes for a moving moment featuring authentic and palpable affection. The unfiltered emotion makes this one of our favorite mother-daughter photographs." —Shannon Menary 03 of 54 Celebrating Tradition Jen Fariello Photography "Sharing in what has serendipitously become a family tradition, I was honored to be the third generation wearing this wedding dress. Leila Welch, my maternal grandmother, first wore the dress in Atlanta, Georgia, on January 28, 1961. The dress was worn for a second time by my mother, Leila Brazeal, 32 years ago for her wedding in Birmingham, Alabama, when her parents got married on June 30, 1984." —bride, Katie 04 of 54 Part of the Day Gia Canali "My bride Lauren did the sweetest thing on her October 10, 2015, wedding at the Ojai Valley Inn. She had a private moment with both of her parents before we left the getting-ready room for the whirlwind of the wedding day. She gave both her mother and her father a present and then made time to have a special photograph with each parent. I love how radiantly beautiful and happy she and her mother Amy both look here. Lauren gave Amy a bouquet to carry, which made her look like an attendant. It's a sweet touch." —Gia Canali 05 of 54 Final Adjustments Liz Banfield "Moments before this bride walked down the aisle, her elegant mother stopped to straighten her daughter's veil. The shot made sweeter by the flower girl looking on from the side." —Liz Banfield 06 of 54 A Quiet Moment Ross Oscar Knight "This image is special to me because I've known the family for such a long time. The wedding was personal and I felt as if I was a family member in attendance. Shaundra, the bride, is a wedding planner so she was intimately involved in every single detail of her day. One thing she couldn't choreograph was this beautiful sunlit moment in the garden as she and her mother held hands and instinctively glanced in opposite directions. Shaundra held a reflective gaze while her mother beamed a smile full of pride." —Ross Oscar Knight 07 of 54 A "First Look" The Edges Wedding Photography "Erinn and her mother, Susan, took a quick break during cocktail hour to see the dinner area setup before all the guests were seated. All the months of planning—choosing all the linens, flowers, glassware, etc.—came together when they saw everything for the first time." —Allison & Matt Edge 08 of 54 An Heirloom Accessory Tim Tab Studios "After my bride Kate's parents arrived in America as refugees over 40 years ago, it took a while to get settled. But when things were steady, her dad bought two Seiko watches for himself and her mom as a celebration of their new life. On Kate's wedding day, she wore a gold Seiko watch in honor of her mother." —Tim Tabailloux 09 of 54 Honoring Tradition Britt Chudleigh "Something I hold dear and that motherhood and weddings have in common is the concept of tradition. Passing on family and cultural specialness to one's children has such depth of meaning. Watching this mother drape her daughter in traditional clothing held such significance. My heart warmed as I watched mother show her newly married daughter the importance of family and where you come from but also as she cared enough to take the garment off her own back for her daughter's comfort. That's motherhood and that's love." —Britt Chudleigh 10 of 54 Admiring the Dress Carrie Patterson Photography "Colby and her mother admire the Claire Pettibone gown she picked out for her wedding day. You can see the joy and excitement in this moment just before Colby slips in to her dress!" —Carrie Patterson 11 of 54 The Morning Of Birds of a Feather "Sophie and her mom really are best friends. The whole wedding was gorgeous, but the best part was capturing the incredible bond this beautiful family shared." —Rebecca and Jen at Birds of a Feather 12 of 54 Holding Hands Gayle Brooker "I love the shared moments between a mother and a daughter. Emotions are high and the love is immense." —Gayle Brooker 13 of 54 Adding the Finishing Touch Rebecca Yale Photography "I love when the bride's mom helps her into her gown. It's such an emotionally charged moment donning the dress you're about to say your I do's in and there's always a mix of excitement and anticipation. I loved this open-mouthed expression the bride and her mom exchanged as she slipped a diamond bracelet on her wrist as the finishing touch before the bride was to go see her groom." —Rebecca Yale 14 of 54 In Between Moments Wendy Laurel Photography "I love this photo because of how close the bride is with her mother. The bride's heritage is Chinese but her groom was Indian. To honor her mother and family, the bride choose to have a traditional tea ceremony before the Indian wedding ceremony. Here the bride's mother is in the traditional Chinese outfit form the tea ceremony with her daughter in her Indian wedding gown. The photo below was the bride in her tea ceremony gown with her mother right after the tea ceremony before changing into her wedding dress." —Wendy Laurel 15 of 54 All Smiles KT Merry "This is my bride, Katie, and her mom. Their energy was contagious and the minute they were close to one another you couldn't wipe away their smiles and giggles." —KT Merry 16 of 54 A Quiet Moment Christian Oth Studio Bride Liana and her mother take a moment to look out the window before they finish getting ready for the ceremony. 17 of 54 Adding the Veil Sposto Photography "Such joy it is to see your daughter getting married! This was such a special moment between mother and daughter." —Shauntelle Sposto 18 of 54 The Best of Friends Judy Pak Photography "There is nothing like the overwhelming love and emotion you feel throughout your wedding day; but what truly makes your day special are intimate special moments like this shared with people you love the most in the world. My mom is truly the most incredible and inspiring woman I have ever met, who I am lucky enough to have as my best friend and rock. Having this memorable moment before I went to see my groom, made my heart feel complete." —bride, Ashley 19 of 54 A Moment of Joy Elisa Bricker "Mother-daughter moments of tenderness and joy always move me. This pair brought all the joy and anticipation they shared for the wedding day together into this moment of spontaneous celebration as the bride stepped into her dress with her mother's help." —Elisa Bricker 20 of 54 Her Mother's Day Larissa Cleveland Photography "Christine and her seven-year-old daughter, Victoria, got ready together on Christine's wedding day. Victoria couldn't have been more excited for her mom to marry Brad, and for Brad's son Ford, also seven, to officially be her brother. Victoria wrote her mom the sweetest notes and gave them to her the morning of the wedding." —Larissa Cleveland 21 of 54 Perfectly Posed Sposto Photography "There's nothing that compares to having a stunning portrait with your mother. I love the resemblance and outfit choice here." —Shauntelle Sposto 22 of 54 Beneath the Veil Elizabeth Messina "On a sunny afternoon in Napa, this lovely bride held her young daughter for some of the portraits. They played under her veil and were so sweet together." —Elizabeth Messina 23 of 54 A Shared Smile Branco Prata "To me, shared smiles are shared memories." —André Teixeira 24 of 54 Getting Ready Carmen Santorelli Photography "I just love getting ready photos because they show the bond a mom has with her daughter and it's always sweet and emotional to witness!" —Carmen Santorelli 25 of 54 Sharing the Joy Tim Tab Studios "Style blogger Liz Adams of Sequins and Stripes has always had a close relationship with her mom. The two took a moment to relish the joy on Liz's wedding day." —Tim Tabailloux 26 of 54 Two of a Kind Liz Banfield "For this Jewish wedding, the parents in addition to the groom participated in the "bedeken" ceremony where the bride's veil is put into place following the ketuba. I love seeing her connection with her mother here. And the two look so much alike in profile, it's almost a mirror image." —Liz Banfield 27 of 54 A Mother's Gaze The Edges Wedding Photography "The look Lynnea's mother is giving her says so much. She sees her beautiful daughter stepping into the next phase of life and all the emotions are captured in this photo." —Allison & Matt Edge 28 of 54 By Her Side Sposto Photography "There's nothing quite like having the comfort of your mother preparing you to walk down the aisle to your future. I love how the bride's mother carefully placed the finishing touches on her before the ceremony began." —Shauntelle Sposto 29 of 54 Checking Out the Bling Rebecca Yale Photography "I love capturing candid moments of mothers and daughters on the wedding day and this one of the bride's mom admiring her daughter's new ring during dinner is a favorite." —Rebecca Yale 30 of 54 Center Stage Shaun Menary Photography "The dance floor had just opened, and the bride and her mother danced together for a few minutes, laughing and singing along at the tops of their lungs. Afterwards, they embraced one another, and Christie's face melted from a huge, open-mouthed laugh to this affectionate, heart-warming, peaceful grin. We LOVE this photo because Maddie was oblivious to her mother's tender expression at the time, but she'll be able to revisit this moment for the rest of her life. We imagine this is how all mothers feel about their daughters on their wedding days." —Shannon Menary 31 of 54 Photos of Their Own Wendy Laurel Photography "This pair has a very close mother/daughter relationship. While I was taking photos of the bride and groom, her parents were off to the side taking photos also." —Wendy Laurel 32 of 54 An Emotional Moment Brklyn View Photography "When Adrienne's Mother placed the wedding veil over her head, the two women shared a very special and emotional moment. I think they stood in that position for a minute or two before shedding a few happy tears of joy." —Jainé Kershner 33 of 54 A Very Special Walk Gia Canali "Tiffany's mom, Joyce, is her best friend and biggest supporter—really and truly—and I love this moment with the two of them. It seems like moms don't get their fair share of built-in moments of honor at a wedding, so we are always delighted when our clients figure out ways to honor their mothers." —Gia Canali 34 of 54 A Memorable Car Ride Christian Oth Studio "Nothing shows a more loving relationship between a daughter and her mother than capturing the moment right before her wedding ceremony." —Christian Oth 35 of 54 The Very Best Friends Gayle Brooker "These two are like two peas in a pod. There is an immense love for each other and I think they were both equally as giddy on the wedding day." —Gayle Brooker 36 of 54 Sharing Family Heirlooms Carrie Patterson Photography "Here, Kalen's mother presents her with a treasured family heirloom. This was a particularly important moment for Kalen and I love the adoring expression in her mother's eyes. You can see how proud she is of her daughter!" —Carrie Patterson 37 of 54 Her Moment, Too Sposto Photography "Mothers can play such a big part in a wedding day. I think having your mom by your side especially when you're getting ready is just as important to you as it is to her." —Shauntelle Sposto 38 of 54 Mother-Daughter Dance Tim Tab Studios "Halfway through Sara's father-daughter dance, her dad reached for her mom and traded off with her so that Sara and her mom could share a moment on the dance floor. Mother-daughter dances should totally be a thing." —Tim Tabailloux 39 of 54 A Cherished Memory Judy Pak Photography "I could not have planned my wedding—or really any other part of my life—without my mom. Once my dress and jewelry were on (including a bracelet from my Oma—my mom's mom), it finally felt like my wedding day and it was very special to share the excitement and joy with my mom in a quiet moment before starting all of the festivities. As of a couple of weeks ago, my mom became a grandmother to our beautiful little girl, and this photo reminds me that my mom was by my side right from the beginning as I started the next phase of my life." —bride, Katie 40 of 54 Only Smiles Here Annie McElwain "I'll always remember this photo of a beautiful mother of the bride radiating happiness at her daughter as she puts on her wedding dress. I always love capturing a mother's proud support of her daughter on her wedding day." —Annie McElwain 41 of 54 A Way to Say Thanks Britt Chudleigh "A simple portrait is something we tend to take for granted but upon deeper reflection we can be reminded of it's value. A portrait is a physical stamp in time. The bride, Catherine, asked for this portrait with her mother just before she headed to her wedding ceremony. It was important to mark this special and unique moment. In a sense I feel it's a way of saying 'Mom, thank you for all you've done to get me here.'" —Britt Chudleigh 42 of 54 A Stolen Moment Shaun Menary Photography "This one warms our hearts. Kristy had been watching on affectionately as Amber got her hair twisted up and her makeup applied. The makeup artist walked away for a moment, and Kristy stepped in for a hug and a sweet, joyous moment, just between the two of them. We ADORE this photo because we can just feel the love between this mother and her daughter." —Shannon Menary 43 of 54 Like Sisters Rebecca Yale Photography "Moms helping their daughters into their gowns is always a favorite moment of mine and this one is extra special because the bride's mom is a fashion designer and actually designed and made the wedding gown. This mother and daughter were so sweet with each other all day, more like sisters than mother and daughter, and I love both the bride's expression looking at her beautiful gown and the bride's mom straightening the tulle and admiring her daughter in the stunning dress." —Rebecca Yale 44 of 54 A Loving Embrace Ross Oscar Knight "This beautiful and emotional wedding was in Antigua Guatemala. The bond that Elisa and Anna share is infectious. After getting dressed, this mother and daughter shared a loving embrace just before it was time for Elisa to walk down the aisle." This beautiful and emotional wedding was in Antigua Guatemala. The bond that Elisa and Anna share is infectious. After getting dressed, this mother and daughter shared a loving embrace just before it was time for Elisa to walk down the aisle." —Ross Oscar Knight 45 of 54 Dressed and Ready The Edges Wedding Photography "All of the joy felt during the wedding day is captured in this moment! Lauren and and her mother, Susan, have a great relationship and its easy to see they are best friends. Susan had just finished zipping up Lauren's dress when they turned towards each other and started smiling and laughing. They have both dreamed about this day for so long and the happiness and excitement they felt was captured in this moment." —Allison & Matt Edge 46 of 54 A Sweet Kiss Birds of a Feather "This was the moment right after her mom finished helping Shannon get into her dress. This moment is so tender and heartfelt and encompasses a lifetime of love." —Rebecca and Jen at Birds of a Feather 47 of 54 The Last Moment Alone Britt Chudleigh "Getting ready is my favorite mother/daughter time during the wedding day It really is the last quiet moment the two have together before the day rushes in. This moment, when a mother sees her daughter all ready to head into her new partnership and life, is so tender. I still get emotional watching the mixed jumble of emotions: Pride, happiness, sadness and perhaps the sheer passage of time is felt in the air like a thick fog. Nothing is lovelier." —Britt Chudleigh 48 of 54 All in the Family Jen Fariello Photography "The bride, Jamie Manning, surrounded by her mother and two aunts. The wedding was a true family affair that embraced the many talents of her family. Her mother, Bentley Grigg (left,) planned and coordinated the entire evening, her aunt Jeanne Cusick (right,) provided hair and makeup for the bride and entire wedding party, and her aunt, Mo Hancher, designed the bride's bouquet and entire wedding party's flowers." —Jen Fariello 49 of 54 A Handpicked Gift Sposto Photography "This bracelet was such a wonderful gift to the bride's mother. The bride carefully curated meaningful gifts for all the women in her family on her big day." —Shauntelle Sposto 50 of 54 The Sweetest Moment Elizabeth Messina "I have a particularly tenderness towards brides that are mothers. My three children were an important part of my wedding day. My youngest was only one at the time and in between getting ready, I was nursing her and tending to my two older children. It is an unique experience and one that is full of so much love and beauty. In this photo my beautiful friend took time to play with (and nurse) her young daughter while looking stunning in her wedding gown." —Elizabeth Messina 51 of 54 The Closest Pair Wendy Laurel Photography "The bride's mom is so close to her and her sister. The bride, Ali, had a photo request of going forehead to forehead with her mom to really document their relationship and closeness. It was a sweet moment and I made sure to take a little time during the family photos to get her with her mom a few ways and with her sister included as well." —Wendy Laurel 52 of 54 A Little Joke Jen Fariello Photography "This was just one of those sweet moments. I think she was making a joke about all those buttons and I just loved the way they looked at each other." —Jen Fariello 53 of 54 Something Borrowed Brklyn View Photography "Sara's something old and something borrowed was her mother's diamond tennis bracelet. Her mother Susan clasped the family heirloom on her daughters wrist for the perfect finishing touches on her wedding day." —Jainé Kershner 54 of 54 A Moment of Thanks Tim Tab Studios "Less than a month before Greta's wedding day, her mom suffered a cardiac arrest. Miraculously, she noticed the warning signs, sought help and doctors were able to stop her heart attack before it got really bad. Throughout the entire wedding day, everything felt so surreal to both Greta and her mom...because it was perfect. The day was perfect, she was there and healthy. What could have been devastating was so joyful instead. They were abundantly thankful." —Tim Tabailloux Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit