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You are here : Etiquette Tips | Manners & Communication » Wedding Etiquette » Wedding Attire for Mother of the Bride

Wedding Attire for Mother of the Bride

Published On March 22nd 2012. Under Wedding Etiquette  Tags: dress code, family manners, wedding  

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 .

Coast, LK Bennett, Schuh
Cocktail Dresses by LK Bennett
Heels by Schuh

ShopStyle

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.

Juicy Couture, Vivienne Westwood, Gina, Rodo
Clutches by Rodo
Fragrances by Agent Provocateur

ShopStyle

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.

John Lewis, Christian Dior, Alexander McQueen
Black Dresses by Karen Millen
Heels at Browns Fashion

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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.

shu uemura, Subversive Jewelry, Calvin Klein
Sandals by Calvin Klein
Clutches by Karen Millen

ShopStyle

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.
You can find her on Google + and Twitter

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  • 16 Replies
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Last reply was March 16, 2016
  1. @Etiquette_Tips
    View March 22, 2012

    Don’t know what to wear to your daughter’s wedding? See Wedding Attire for Mother of the Bride: http://t.co/Locz6CPA #wedding

  2. Wedding Attire for Mother of the Groom – Etiquette Tips
    View March 23, 2012

    […] 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 […]

  3. Cherri
    View June 12, 2012

    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!

  4. Alona
    View June 12, 2012

    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

  5. Cherri
    View June 12, 2012

    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!

  6. Cherri
    View June 12, 2012

    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.

  7. Alona
    View June 12, 2012

    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!

  8. Cherri
    View June 12, 2012

    Mega thanks! Your quick response is greatly appreciated! Have a wonderful day!

  9. Sandra
    View July 28, 2012

    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?

  10. Alona
    View July 28, 2012

    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!

  11. Madeline
    View September 2, 2012

    Can the mother of the groom wear a long dress to a 2PM wedding? The MOB has already purchased a long dress.

  12. Alona
    View September 3, 2012

    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!

  13. Liz
    View December 8, 2012

    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?

  14. Etiquette Tips
    View December 8, 2012

    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.

  15. Liz
    View December 9, 2012

    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?

  16. Etiquette Tips
    View December 9, 2012

    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.

  17. Margaret
    View February 28, 2016

    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.

  18. Clara Patton
    View March 16, 2016

    Can you tell me if the mother of the bride and the grooms mother are surpose to have a flower at the ceremony?

« Etiquette Discoveries Issue #1: New Moms Guide, Things Daughters Should Know & More
Wedding Attire for Mother of the Groom »

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