Has spring come to your town yet? Here in London it’s fresh and sunny these day. Very soon the wedding season will start which means, those invited will be on a ‘what to wear’ quest.
Let’s see how mothers of the bride should handle the matter.
Traditionally, the mother of the bride is the mom who buys her outfit first. She then should inform politely the mother of the groom about her choice. It’s done to avoid clashing colours, overdressing and other fashion mistakes.
If you are not sure whether the mother of the groom is willing to coordinate her wedding attire with you, be as friendly and subtle as possible when speaking about your dress with her .
Summer wedding set by TANYA80
Start shopping for a dress in advance. A decision about your outfit has to be made at least one month before the wedding. Again, if you follow the traditions, you should give the mother of the groom enough time to choose her dress after you decided about your gown.
It terms of colors, think about abstaining from white, ivory and champagne colors. Black and red are considered risky too. But the bottom line is – you should talk with the bride before your shopping session. Who knows, she might surprise you and support your wish to look a little extravagant.
Sparkle at the wedding by shelleyje
In case you see hesitation in your daughter’s eyes when you describe an amazing black, slightly see-through dress or a strapless red gown you noticed recently, be flexible and don’t push it. You want your daughter to be happy on her wedding day, right? Go for silver, burgundy, lavender or blue color outfit instead.
Dream in purple by BEEKASAM
The bride might also want your outfit to correspond with bridesmaids ensembles, the style, length and formality. Although, you want to please the bride, don’t wear a dress that you don’t like or don’t feel comfortable in. Remember about your daughters guidelines when shopping for your wedding attire, but make sure it feels right wearing it.
Whatever your clothing preferences are, the outfit you select for the wedding can’t look too casual, especially if it is an evening wedding. Even if you don’t normally like fancy clothes, the mother of the bride should look formal and refined. There are countless option that will allow you to look easy and chic at the same time. It’s not necessarily should be a dress, classic elegant trousers and a blouse can look well too.
Icy blossoms
by Tanita+Pe
Do you have some questions about Mother of the Bride Outfit or you think we forgot to mention something? Come talk with us! Leave a message below!
Alona is the co-founder of Etiquette Tips – an online magazine that features articles on business etiquette, communication, dress code, table manners, international code of behaviour, gift giving, events & celebrations and more.
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Don’t know what to wear to your daughter’s wedding? See Wedding Attire for Mother of the Bride: http://t.co/Locz6CPA #wedding
[…] you are willing to respect traditions, you should wait until mother of the bride chooses her wedding attire and informs you about it. She might give you a call or ask your son to […]
What to wear for MOG? Wedding at 4pm. Bride wearing long dress with train. briadesmaids wearing knee length dresses. MOB wearing pants with jacket. I would like to wear floor length dress. Help!
Hello Cherri!
Thank you for your question! Have you talked with the bride about your possible gown? It might be a good idea to see how she feels about the floor length dress you’d like to wear. The bride might hesitate to initiate such conversation because she wouldn’t want to disappoint you. You might also want to look at this article for more info and outfit ideas: http://etiquette-tips.com/wedding-etiquette/wedding-attire-for-mother-of-the-groom
Yes, I have discussed it with my son and his bride and they both feel comfortable with me wearing it. Thank you so much for your quick reply!
I haven’t been able to find any info on what MOG should wear if MOB is wearing pants (black pants with bright fuschia jacket). Dress I have is lavendar. Some boutique sales ladies have told me they feel it is ok for MOG to wear dress even if MOB wears pants.
You should absolutely go with the long dress then! Please let us know if you have any other questions and have a great time at the wedding!
Mega thanks! Your quick response is greatly appreciated! Have a wonderful day!
The bride is wearing a strapless dress. The Mother of the Bride wants to wear a purple strapless outfit with pants. Can I wear a strapless outfit if her dress is strapless?
Hello Sandra, thank you for your question.
If you decide to go for a strapless outfit keep in mind that it shouldn’t be very revealing. Also, we would suggest to take a shawl or a cardigan that you can put on during the ceremony. Hope it helps! Have a great time at the wedding!
Can the mother of the groom wear a long dress to a 2PM wedding? The MOB has already purchased a long dress.
Hello Madeline,
Thank you for your question and yes, you can wear a long formal dress to a 2pm wedding.
Have a great time at the wedding!
Help! I purchased a beautiful off the shoulder silver gown for my daughters spring wedding. The wedding will now be at noon, and a very formal reception in the evening. Should I look for another less formal dress to wear to the wedding, and save the gown for the reception?
Hi Liz,
This seems like a good idea! Alternatively, you might want to look for a nice dark blazer to wear on top and maybe a light silk scarf; this way you can wear the same dress just play a little with different accessories.
The dress can’t be covered up, sadly, as one shoulder is bare, and the other shoulder has a beautiful taffeta (matching to the dress) flower/bow. I guess I have 2 questions…
1. If I drape a shawl of some kind around my bare shoulders, is that enough for the church ceremony?
2. Do MOBs ever buy two distinct dresses? One for church, one for reception? If so, which dress goes into the photo shoot?
Hello Liz,
Perhaps it all depends on how explicit the dress is, its length etc. Also, if you feel it is going to be problematic to cover the dress up (even if using a shawl), it might be easier to buy a second one which will be more of a “day dress” and brighten it up with accessories. As to photo shoot – we would suggest stick to your first choice and appear in the silver gown. Also, you could check with your daughter, she might just say to leave the dress on for both parts, no changes necessary.
Is it appropriate for the Mother of the Bride to wear a short dress. I have found a beautiful elegant Oscar de la Renta dress. The wedding is black tie optional and will be in the early evening.
Hello Margaret! Thank you for your question. Sorry for taking so long to reply. How short is the dress? Black-tie optional for women means you have the option of wearing a full-length gown, or opting for a cocktail dress. We suggest you choose a dress that’ll hold up alongside a room full of men in formal tuxedos, and women wearing gowns. And since you are Mother of the Bride, you will be in the centre of attention, so make sure you feel appropriate. Hope this helps. Please do not hesitate to ask more questions.
Can you tell me if the mother of the bride and the grooms mother are surpose to have a flower at the ceremony?
Hello Clara! Thank you for your question! You don’t have to have a flower at the ceremony. Although, if you want to have a small bouquet, you can both have one.