What Should the Mother-of-the-Bride and Mother-of-the

What Should the Mother-of-the-Bride and Mother-of-the-Groom Wear?
Hello! It’s Sukey from Dress for the Wedding, back with another Tips & Trends
post about wedding attire! Your Wedding Experience Philadelphia is just a
few months away, and I hope you’re planning on meeting me there and bringing
your friends and family too! My last post on “Finding the Perfect Bridesmaid
Dresses” was intended to give you some helpful tips for dressing your ‘maids,
and today we’ll talk about attire for some other very important women in your
wedding: the Mother-of-the-Bride and Mother-of-the-Groom. What should the
Mother-of-the-Bride and Mother-of-the-Groom wear? This guide will help you
find the perfect mothers’ attire!
Styl
e 56905D Chiffon Dress from David’s Bridal.
What Should the Mother-of-the-Bride and Mother-of-the-Groom Wear for
the Wedding?
Most Mothers-of-the-Bride and Mothers-of-the-Groom naturally want to select
attire that will allow them to look their absolute best and will
appropriately reflect that role of honor. It should also be noted that the
role of Mother-of-the-Bride or Mother-of-the-Groom can extend to stepmothers,
grandmothers, or anyone who might be a special mother-like figure in the
couple’s life. Finding the perfect look for these special women is important!
In fact, finding the perfect mothers’ outfits can often rival the search for
a wedding dress and bridesmaid dresses in terms of scope and intensity. So,
what should the Mother-of-the-Bride or Mother-of-the-Groom wear?
Selecting styles that suit the wedding’s spirit, formality, and location is a
great place to start.
Soft pastel lace dresses with illusion necklines make lovely choices for a daytime
spring wedding!
Style 115868 by Social Occasions by Mon Cheri
Trends in Mothers’ Wedding Attire
When looking for mothers’ wedding attire there are so many options:
there
are long gowns, two-piece jacket and dress ensembles, and short and chic
cocktail dresses in a myriad of colors and styles. Gone are the stuffy styles
of years ago; there are many fashion-forward options for mothers that reflect
current trends. Metallic fabrics, beaded gowns, colorful cocktail dresses,
intricate illusion necklines, and embellished details are all in style for
mothers’ attire this year.
Style 215907 in English Rose from Montage by Mon Cheri is a beautiful rose gown with
embellishment for a formal and feminine Mother-of-the-Bride style.
Be Specific
Before starting the search for the mothers’ attire, it is helpful if the
engaged couple gives the mothers in the wedding an idea of the color scheme
of the wedding, indicates the attire and level of formality for other members
of the wedding party, and expresses their personal ideas about what the
mothers might wear. It is especially helpful if the couple can specify any
colors and styles they want the mothers of the wedding to avoid, and any
colors and styles they’d particularly like the mothers to consider. Within
those guidelines, there should be lots of flexibility so that each mother may
select a dress or outfit that suits her personal style.
A
chic sequined gown is a formal, yet fresh and festive style for mothers.
Cap Sleeve All Over Beaded Blouson Dress from David’s Bridal
Color and Style Options
The mothers’ attire can be a wonderful way to introduce some of the secondary
colors of the wedding, or to accent the rest of the wedding party’s attire
for a cohesive appearance in pictures. If one is stumped for color ideas, I
often recommend that the mothers’ dresses be a shade darker or lighter than
the bridesmaid dresses in a similar or pleasantly contrasting hue and tone.
For instance, if the bridesmaids are wearing burgundy, selecting a mothers’
gown in a dusty deep rose or muted dark plum might work, or trying other deep
muted colors like pewter, navy, or mocha could potentially be a nice balance
with the burgundy dresses. Sharing ideas on Pinterest is a wonderful way
to communicate these ideas to understand the specific vision each person has
about what the mothers will wear. As with all wedding attire, long gowns and
embellishment are more suited to formal and semi-formal weddings, while light
fabrics, shorter lengths, and more casual styles are suited to daytime
weddings. Keep in mind that personal preferences vary widely about the
attire for mothers; some brides would be honored for their mothers to wear
light neutral colors like champagne, blush or gold, while others may feel
these lighter colors compete with the bridal gown. Again, communicating any
of these thoughts at the start of the attire search is key.
This Cameron Blake Style 215642 in Eggplant is a beautiful choice for a fall
wedding, and has a stunning illusion neckline and back detail.
Who Goes First?
Traditionally, the Mother-of-the-Bride will select her gown or color first,
and then she will communicate with the Mother-of-the-Groom about her choice
so that they may select attire of generally equal formality in
harmonious colors. However, the mothers’ dress styles do not have to exactly
reflect each others’ choices — different hem lengths and styles are
acceptable if they are acceptable to the couple, or to whoever is making the
general attire decisions.
S
hort, chic, and embellished styles are popular for mothers’ attire this season.
This Short Mesh Dress from David’s Bridal has all three trends in one!
Making the Purchase
Once the mothers have found some options, both mothers should run their
selections by the couple and communicate with each other before making their
final selection to ensure the dress they have selected is in keeping with the
wedding day. The mothers’ dresses should be purchased at least 3 or 4 months
before the wedding to allow plenty of time for alterations. Many specialty
shops require longer lead times for ordering, so be sure to start the search
for gowns early in the process. I advise taking a look at the mothers’
dresses while the bridesmaids are searching for their attire. However, if
there is a last-minute need or a short timeline, many retailers now carry a
beautiful selection of mothers’ gowns that are available for immediate
purchase.
Blue Wedding Look for the Mother of the Bride or Mother of the Groom via Dress for
the Wedding.
With a little planning and lots of communication, finding the perfect Motherof-the-Bride or Groom dress is easy. For more ideas for mothers’ attire visit
some of my posts on Dress for the Wedding, where I style looks for the
wedding party from head to toe!
Author Bio:
Sukey Murphy is the Editor-in-Chief and Founder
of Dress For The Wedding. Dress for the Wedding is a wedding styling blog
that features wedding dresses and wedding attire ideas for guests, brides,
bridesmaids, and the entire wedding party, through shoppable posts and
collages. You can find her blog
on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
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