A guide to find the perfect Mother of the Bride/Groom attire Part 1

“But what shall I wear?”

Your full of joy as your beloved son or daughter is getting married to the perfect mate, but your joy is short-lived as you think, “What am I going to wear….?”

Bridal season is approaching and it’s time for the mother of the bride/groom to choose her dress. In most cases, the bride and/or groom have very definite ideas of how they envision the wedding party to look on the “Special Day”. Will the wedding be formal, casual, afternoon, early evening, a public or private venue? What season will the wedding take place and will it take place indoor or outside? The answers to each of these questions greatly influence dress choice possibilities.

Most of the time, the mother of the bride waits until the colors of the wedding are chosen before choosing a dress for the ceremony. It’s proper wedding etiquette for the mother of the bride to choose her dress color before the groom’s mother. In most cases, the ultimate goal is for all of the wedding party colors to compliment each other for the wedding pictures which will grace the walls of many houses in future years.

If the wedding is outside (garden or beach) during the warm months, you might want to select a knee-length or longer, light-weight material dress or skirt outfit. You certainly want to stay away from a heavy beaded, long-sleeved dress as you will end up in a puddle! Depending on how informal the event is outside, you could also consider a T-length or long gauze dress or skirt. The gauze material may disguise any wrinkles that appear throughout the day and you’ll give off a soft and airy appearance

. You may opt for a flat or small heeled strappy sandal. Simple and few accessories will complete the desired look.

Evening weddings are usually more formal and the bride may want all female wedding participants to wear long gowns. The late afternoon, early evening weddings I’ve attended in the fall and winter seasons, the mothers wore long, beaded or sequined long-sleeved dresses, and accessorized with baubles and bling. Metallic (silver, gold, pewter) or black footwear, as well as a small clutch, completes this dressy look. If the wedding is in the spring or summer, the attire should still be dressy but you may wish to select a lighter-weight dress material or one with short sleeves or you may experience the longest hot-flash ever!!

An afternoon church wedding would fall somewhere in the middle as far as formality. A nice knee-length, sleeveless or short-sleeved dress may work best for this event. I prefer solid colored dresses in a simple, but sophisticated look. The season of the wedding would dictate color choices. A spring or summer event would lend itself well to pastel or softer colors, whereas darker colors might work best for fall and/or winter celebrations. Gray is a color that has become very popular lately for dressy wear. There are many shades of gray (50?) and just because a color is popular doesn’t mean you have to join the bandwagon and wear it. Find a color that compliments you and looks good on your skin tone and body type. A nice strappy, heeled sandal/pump and clutch, as well as some simple, yet sophisticated jewelry, will finish this stunning look!!
The second installment of mother wedding dresses is posted, see what is in store in part 2 . Happy shopping!

Until next time,
—Judy