Being the mother of the bride is a very important role in the wedding party. You are the stable rock which can hold a very stressed and worried bridal party together. You are also one of the main guested who will be present and centre after the bride and groom. This means that finding the perfect mother of the bride dress can be stressful.

For a long time, mother of the brides have been expected to be matronly dresses in pastels or washed-out shades of beige. Thankful this has changed a lot in resent years, as mothers have become more modern and have been allowed to freely express themselves, through style, colour, and tone. Talk about spoiled for choice!

As with bridal fashion, mother of the bride attire doesn't have many steadfast rules. There are a few considerations to take into account, like the bridesmaid gowns, the mother of the groom's dress and the bride's preference. You don’t want to stand out too much or have an extreme contrasting colour to the rest of the bridal party.

In general, though, the mother of the bride is encouraged to wear something that she and her daughter both loves, and feel comfortable in.

What’s the theme?

One of the things you will have to factor when looking for a dress are what are the theme of the wedding. For a more formal or black tie wedding, a maxi dress or a structured jumpsuit may be more suited for the mother of the bride. Whereas a relax wedding can allow for a little more choice and style options.

The wedding venue can also help determine what the mother of the bride wears. A formal setting calls for A-line or full-length dress, while a casual outfit is appropriate for a more laid-back celebrations like a barn or open wedding. One of the best ways to judge the theme is to take inspiration from the wedding gown and bridesmaid dresses, as these can help influence what the mother of the bride should wear.

Another indication to help a mother on what to wear can be the season in which the wedding in hosted. For example, the mother of the bride may not want to wear a long, heavy skirt or lace sleeves in the middle of summer, and she may prefer to cover up with a wrap or shawl for an autumn wedding.

If it’s a winter wedding, the mother may want to go with darker tones or with more winter themed outfit. 191810 is a simple crepe dress which oozes winter wedding, thanks to its faux fur handwarmer and collar. Whereas for a spring or summer wedding, you have a little more options. Shorter dresses, or ones with a little flow in the in the skirt are ideal and allow you to have a little more movement. Floral patterns are always perfect for a summer wedding like 991901A or 29715.

Take colour cues from the wedding party?

Traditionally, the mother of the bride's dress should complement the wedding party's colours. However, this doesn’t mean that they have to match, just complement.

This means it might be best wait until your daughter chooses the bridesmaids' dresses before you begin shopping. However, if you cannot wait or you have found the dress which you think would be perfect, just consult your daughter first.

In recent years ivory has become more popular. We would just suggest asking the bride before trying the colour, as you don’t want to clash with her dress, but recently brides have started to branch out to more colour wedding dresses, allowing mothers to wear lighter and bright colour ways like 991928 or 991852 .

Does the Mother of the Bride dress need to match Bridesmaids or Mother of the Groom?

The short answer is no, the mother of the bride doesn't need to match the bridesmaids or the wedding party in general. The bride may prefer to have corresponding colours for a unified look, but that comes down to personal preference for the bride and groom.

It's also not necessary for the mothers of the bride and groom to match. The couple may prefer to have their mothers wear complementary colours. If this is the case, it might be nice to go dress shopping together to discuss what colour and style you are planning on wearing.

In general, we suggest that before shopping for a mother of the bride dress, it's best to ask the bride for her guidance or opinion, on the themes, or and styles. Doing so will ensure that your outfit is appropriate for the wedding day. Once you has a few ideas of what to wear, you can begin to shop for a look that you will love.

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