Check any old wedding photographs and you can easily recognize the mother of the bride. She would be dressed in age-appropriate and matronly outfits in washed-out brown or cream hues looking prim and proper and subdued in the glam department. All that has gone for a toss now and mothers of the bride give full reign to their creativity and imagination when choosing what to wear for their daughter’s wedding. The traditional gown is still very much in fashion for weddings but quickly catching up are tea-length dresses, mother of the bride pant suit, and more.
This of course does not mean that you have a full license to wear whatever takes your fancy. There is a certain dress code that you should follow and a few guidelines that should be adhered to.
Discuss the dress with your daughter
The final decision about your dress should be a collaborative effort between the mother and the daughter. She is the star of the wedding and her wishes about what her mother should wear counts a lot. But remember, while she might have an opinion, your wishes matter too. The important point is that while the dress must have a touch of glamor about it, the comfort factor is critical as you have to be in the attire throughout the day. Anything complex might not be convenient on the dance floor!
While your daughter will surely not want you to be in somber attire, she might have issues with audacious dresses. You have to do a delicate balancing act between her wishes and what you want to wear. One type of outfit should settle the issue. Go for a mother of the bride pant suit and you cannot go wrong. These outfits are a mix of the traditional and the modern and are available in stunning colors, cuts, and designs, just right to portray a modern mother of the bride image. You can be sure that your daughter will concur on this point.
Do not delay your decision
Ideally, the exercise of selecting the dress should start about three months early, provided the wedding is not a suddenlydecided affair. This should give you plenty of time to make alterations and fittings to the dress, regardless of whether you have it tailormade or buy from a reputed online store or a specialized wedding boutique.
Before you go shopping, talk to the mother of the groom. Itis customary for the mother of the bride to make her choice and inform the mother of the groom who will choose a dress that is not completely different from yours. While not being replicas, a similar type of dresses helps to make the two mothers stand out in the crowd and gives a touch of harmony to the wedding photographs. If you choose to wear a dressier electric blue mother of the bride pant suit, she can do so too but of a different shade.
What type of dress to wear?
Gowns have been the staple of mothers of the bride for ages but luckily, there is a shift in the scenario now. Wear something you love – subject to your daughter’s approval – like a mother of the bride pant suit in gorgeous colors and designs, trendy midis and maxis, and structured jumpsuits and nobody will bat an eyelid at the wedding. The type of dress also depends on the formality levels. For a typical black-tie church wedding, a floor-length ankle-covered sequined gown or an attractive metallic ribbed mother of the bride pant suit is perfect. For an outdoor informal occasion like a beach wedding, a pretty floral dress or a cold-shoulder empire waist outfit is enough to turn heads.
Ask your daughter if the couple has any fixed theme for the wedding. Themed weddings are fun and exciting and everybody joins in. One type of theme is the dress color of all, right from the guests to the bridesmaids. Say if blue is the theme, your dress should be of that hue only.
Dress as per the season
The weather is a huge deciding factor for your dress. In summer, you can go for strapless gowns and cocktail dresses. Even a 2-piece mother of the bride pant suit will be appropriate. But in winter, you will need an extra layer of clothing to protect you from the chill. If you are wearing a gown, have a shawl draped around your shoulders. For mother of the bride pant suit, put ona finely embroidered bolero jacket embellished with crystals, beads, and fur to go with it.
Finally, a word about the color of the dress. Whatever attire you might choose to be in avoid white, off-white, cream, and champagne. These are strictly bridal colors and nothing should take the focus off your daughter, not even the color of your dress. There are exceptions though. If the theme of the wedding is all-white, wear the color by all means but not otherwise.
Follow these guidelines for mother-of-the-bride dresses.
