A gift to a bride from her mother should be meaningful and tied to family history. Heirlooms, antiques, or other pieces of family heritage should be incorporated into the gift to symbolize that the bride is leaving her birth family and beginning her own. The bride's father traditionally gives her away to the groom, but the gift given by a mother to a bride can be just as meaningful and symbolic.

A bride should know her family heritage before she takes the last name of another family. Research family history and put together a family tree. Make photocopies of all the family wedding certificates you can find, from living relatives as well as ancestors. Ask older generations if there is a family Bible or other historical record that has been passed down through generations. Find the family crest or coat of arms and have it embroidered on a photo album or scrapbook.

Every bride needs "something old" to complete the traditional wedding rhyme. If you, an aunt or a grandmother wore a piece of jewelry at your own wedding that is timeless and elegant, give it to the bride so she has "something old" to wear when she walks down the aisle. It could be a brooch, a ring, earrings or a necklace. Hair pins, shoes or gloves are also an option.

Ask the bride if there is anything she wants to learn about before she gets married, and then sign her up for lessons or classes. Maybe she wants to learn how to dance for her wedding reception and would appreciate ballroom lessons. Cooking lessons might be a good option. If the honeymoon is in a foreign country, learning the country's language could be helpful. Etiquette lessons might help her feel graceful on her wedding day. If she wants to lose a few pounds before the wedding, sign her up for belly dancing or take the class with her.

Put together a scrapbook featuring moments of her life from birth to present. Include baby photos, childhood pictures and drawings. Make sure you highlight important moments like her sweet-16 birthday and graduations from high school or college. The last pages of the scrapbook could include the wedding invitation and then blank pages labeled "honeymoon" or "wedding." This way, the bride has a time line of her entire life in one handmade book.