How to Choose a Mother of the Bride Dress

Tips on Finding a Dress and Making Sure it Suits Your Style

Nov 24, 2008

The bride is the main attraction on her wedding day. Being the mother of the bride is also an important role. Make sure you pick a special dress for the occasion.

Choosing a mother of the bride dress can be a daunting task. You want to look stylish, complement your figure, but also blend in with the bridal party. Since pictures will stay around for years to come there are some definite dos and don'ts to choosing an appropriate dress.

Blend with the Bridal Party

Since most mothers will be seen throughout the wedding, either during pictures or when helping with the unity candle, the dress chosen needs to blend into the wedding party. The dress should never be the exact same color as the bridesmaids, but should go with the party colors rather than standing out. For example, if the bridal party is wearing emerald green dresses, your dress should be a lighter shade of green; almost a mint green. You might also consider co-ordinating with the bride of the, since you will be sharing many photos together.

Mother of the Bride Dress No-No's

There are some definite no-nos when choosing a dress. White is off limits. Only the bride should be in white or even off white. In the pictures, the bride should stand out when surrounded by her family and husband who are wearing colored garments.

Never wear black. No matter how much you dislike your new son-in-law or how slimming it is, black makes a completely negative statement. Even dark shades of brown can be detrimental to the occasion. This is true whether it is a first-time wedding for your daughter or subsequent.

How to Find a Mother of the Bride Dress

There are many styles to choose from, especially with new fashions coming available all the time. Consider looking through magazines for tips or input on dresses. Also be sure to ask your daughter what she pictures you wearing. After all, this is her special day, and she may have a vision of what she wants her wedding party to look like, including you. You might even consider shopping with your daughter, since many dresses look different in person than in pictures. This can be such a fun outing for the both of you.

Mother of the Bride Dress Timeline

Always plan ahead, and start shopping at least six months in advance. Once you do find a dress that meets your standards, there are many more steps to be considered. The dress store may only carry a few fitting styles and the official dress may need to be ordered. This can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.

Alterations may need to be made, and this can take a few weeks in some cases. You will also want to try the dress on occasionally as the day gets closer. Since a person's weight can change drastically during a few months, further alterations may need to be made before the big day.

Being Comfortable is Important

You will also need to consider comfort and ease of movement when picking a dress. If the wedding and reception are going to be sit down affairs, make sure you are comfortable sitting in the dress. A shorter dress can be exhausting if you are sitting and have to keep tugging it down.

However, if there will be dancing and a lot of standing or movement, you will need to feel comfortable moving about. A longer tight legged gown can make it very difficult to move about the dance floor. Try to find a happy balance.

One rule of thumb is that if you cannot bend to touch your toes or squat down to pick something up off the floor, you may want a different design. This is an important decision, as you will have more important things to do on the wedding day than fooling with an uncomfortable dress.

As you can see, choosing the appropriate mother of the bride dress does take some consideration. It's not all about the latest fashion, but about comfort and color as well. The dress can be preserved, if you desire. This will give you a chance to remember the occasion, as looking at the dress will bring back fond memories.

The copyright of the article How to Choose a Mother of the Bride Dress in Wedding Fashion is owned by Denise Oliveri. Permission to republish How to Choose a Mother of the Bride Dress in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.