Wedding preparations can be very stressful. The whole family is getting ready for the big day, everyone is exited, and most of all your daughter. You are helping her deal with her stress and find her dream dress, and on top of that you have to think about what you are going to wear yourself. Wedding attire etiquette is constantly evolving for everyone involved. This is great news for the mothers, because it means you have much more choices than mothers in the past.
As the mother of the bride, your daughter's most important day, is your most important day as well. And, you will have a huge role in your daughter's wedding – not only will you be your daughter's rock throughout the entire planning process, same as with all of her milestones, but you will also probably have important duties during the wedding as well, apart from being the point person for guests and family members.
What Should the Bride's Mother Wear?
Not many things are as strong as the love between a mother and a daughter. So, of course you want to look your best for her wedding day. And with all the challenges this beautiful celebration of your daughter's new life chapter will give you, you definitely deserve to be one of those magazine cover-worthy women wearing unique elegant mother of the bride dresses. Of course, this also includes other older women included in the wedding – the groom's mother, the aunties, the grandmothers etc., and don't doubt for a second that there are beautiful dresses for older women to wear to a wedding available. If you are the mother of the groom, you don't have it easier, either. Your boy is all grown up and getting married, of course you have to be beautiful for his day.
Compromises and Balance
Since you'll probably be included in the planning process, or at least you'll be asked about your opinion on some important matters, you'll know the tone of the event, the venue – so you'll be able to determine how dressy your dress should be. But, regardless of how casual or formal your child's wedding will be, regardless whether you like or dislike the wedding style they and their future spouse chose, you can and should aim for something that you really like. Something that you'll feel comfortable in, while also feeling gorgeous. The good news is that nowadays, both casual and more formal mother of the bride dresses or even suits – if that's your thing –can be elegant and make you feel like a VIP at the wedding. High-end elegant mother of the bride dresses come in as many different colours, styles, designs as any beautiful clothing items.
However, don't make it all about yourself. Regardless whether you are mother of the bride or the groom, it would be thoughtful of you if you considered their opinions as well. It's their day after all. If you and the bride or groom have a very different taste, for example, you might want to compromise at list a little bit. Be flexible, try to be an asset and a jewel to the beauty and the look of the entire event.
Furthermore, have the venues in mind. You don't want to wear something too bold to a church wedding. But that doesn't mean you have to limit yourself to one or the other. For instance, if needed you can add a nice jacket, coat or some other kind of elegant wrap to make your dress church appropriate, and then show off your beautiful dress at the party.
One for the Photo Albums (and Instagram)
Don't forget that there will be a lot of picture. Make sure you are stunning, but let the bride be the star of the show. Amongst other things, avoid wearing the same colour as their wedding dress. Your goal should complement the bride's and groom's looks, and be their gorgeous companion. Furthermore, try to complement the wedding party's colour. This means that you might want to wait for your daughter to choose her bridesmaid's dresses before going shopping – and then try to find a colour and hue that will be in harmony with theirs.
As abovementioned, mother of the groom dresses are also very important, and they should be beautiful and complementary to the wedding as well. However, there really aren't rules as to whether the mother's dresses should match or not, it all depends on the bride and groom, and on their own tastes. Generally, they should at least complement each other. The brides' mothers are customarily the ones who choose their dress first, and then share their choice with the groom's mothers – since they'll also need time to make their choice.
Prevent Rushing and Stress
When you're planning a wedding, timing is crucial. This also includes the mothers' dresses. One way to make sure you'll have enough time to choose right, and not only avoid stressing out, but also give yourself the time to consider the abovementioned things, and be truly happy with your choice, is to start looking for your dress at least three months before the wedding. This will also provide the mother of the groom with enough time to choose her dress.
