Mother of the Bride Dresses
For most mothers, this process becomes so emotional because they want to find a gown that their daughters will love. They want a dress that makes them feel beautiful on their daughter’s big day, a dress that will bring a smile to both the bride’s and their own faces. Most often, the chosen gown is a floor-length affair topped by a formal jacket. Whether this is the path you think you’ll follow or not, there are a lot of thoughts that go into the choosing of mother of the bride dresses.
How and When to Choose Your Dress
Generally speaking, it is best to wait on choosing your dress until the bride and bridesmaids’ dresses have been picked. Within this array of gowns, the bride will establish a color scheme. The mother of the bride dress should compliment that color scheme, but not duplicate the colors themselves. If at all possible, it is best to coordinate with the mother of the groom’s dress as well; if one wears a long dress, the other should also wear a long dress.
Beyond thinking about complimenting the bride’s color scheme and trying to coordinate with the groom’s mother, you might think about simply asking the bride what she would suggest so that your choice of color and style (whether long, short, modern, or classic) compliments the overall style of the wedding.
Some things should go without saying, but it’s best to mention them anyway. Remember to stay away from white, or any other color that the bride herself will be wearing on her special day. Black dresses, for obvious funereal reasons, are also not appropriate.
Plan ahead, and purchase your dress as soon as possible. In many stores, you will have to special order mother of the bride dresses because these specialty shops only stock a limited number of styles, sizes, and colors.
Popular Mother of the Bride Dresses
In that search to find the perfect gown, mothers will find a variety of styles to explore. While the most common dress is a floor-length formal dress with a jacket, there are other options and styles to work with depending on the style of the bride’s wedding.
Tea-length dresses, cocktail suits, and long gowns with a more non-traditional feel are popular options for youthful mothers who don’t want to look like the typical mother of the bride. Straight column dresses and A-Line shapes are definitely in style for all mothers. If the bride is having a church wedding, you will probably want to opt for a jacket to cover spaghetti straps and bare shoulders.
Customarily, your choice in dress color, cut, and length should subtly dictate what the mother of the groom will wear. Complimenting each other’s style of dress helps in countless ways, including the creation of really remarkable photographs; a mother wearing an orange dress next to the bridesmaids’ mint green are going to make wedding pictures look tacky. The key word here is to compliment, not match. This is a big day for both mothers, and while you will want to coordinate your styles with each other, you can boost the atmosphere of the bridal party by not matching the bride or her bridesmaids.
A couple of quick tips in picking the perfect dress:
*Color is hugely important. Traditionalists frown on white, ivory, and champagne. If the mother of the groom wears these shades, it is interpreted that she views the bride as a rival for her son’s love. Soft shades of pink, blue, green, yellow, and lavender are peaceful colors great for day weddings. Jewel tones like purple and burgundy are popping up more often in fall and evening weddings.
*Stay away from prints. A print dress is distracting, and can pull attention from the bride. Some have argued that a print dress is perfect for a beach wedding; if you’re attending a beach wedding, why not choose a soft, dreamy slip dress? These are usually in a solid color, and look gorgeous without causing undue attention.
*In details, designers and stores have really gotten away from beads and sequins. Once a staple on mother of the bride dresses, these details have given way to gorgeous fabric and texture selections, embroidered accents, tiers of ruffles and ribbon trims.
On a Final Note
Tradition holds that the bride dictates what she wants her mother to wear, and then the groom’s mother follows suit. More and more, though, there is little protocol. Keep in mind the fact that many, many photographs will be taken and do your best to see that your colors blend. In the end, the only really important thing is the lasting memories this day will have for your daughter, the bride, and yourself.
