Mother Of The Bride Dress - Top Tips For Finding The Right Outfit

Being the mother of the bride is exciting, exhilarating and all consuming. Helping your daughter have the wedding of her dreams demands a lot of time. However you also want to allocate time to find your perfect mother of the bride dress. Our top tips are all about making your wedding outfit an easy and enjoyable experience.

Start your search for your wedding outfit sooner than later, allowing you time to be on call for the bride. It also allows you to try different styles and colours and find something comfortable that flatters your shape and looks fabulous.In addition, as the bride’s mum, you’ll be on show at the wedding, so you need to look and feel your best. Plus, you want to enjoy choosing what to wear to a wedding reception without being stressed and under time restraints.

Who pays for the mother of the bride’s dress? The cost is yours, so getting your shopping budget in order is also a good idea, not just for the dress but for the accessories that make your outfit pop.

Tips For Finding The Perfect Mother Of The Bride Dress

To make things easier before you hit the shops, here are some handy tips. They’ll help you prepare to buy precisely the right mother of the bride dress for your daughter’s wedding.

Know The Wedding Aesthetic

You need to know the look, tone and colour the bridal couple is going for before you choose your outfit for the wedding. Is it a formal affair, or will you be going for a boho mother of the bride dress? 

Will you liaise with the partner’s mum? It’s usually a good idea so you complement each other and don’t clash or even get the same outfit. Traditionally, the bride’s mother buys her dress before the groom’s mother. Of course, rules are flexible, but working with your daughter’s future in-laws keeps everything friendly and is one less stress for the bride to deal with.

Avoid the Bridal Look

No one at a wedding wants to compete or overshadow the bride on her big day, certainly not her mum. For the bride’s mum, this usually means avoiding white and ivory and not selecting the same fabric or copying the bride’s style. 

So what colour dress does the mother of the bride wear? The colour that most suits her within the parameters of the bride’s chosen colours for the bridal group. 

Choosing a pink, blue or even sage green mother of the bride dress is perfectly fine. However, if a one-colour look is not your style choice, accessories can add a hint of drama or soften a block colour look. Remember to use plainer accessories in a complementary colour if you are going for a floral or patterned outfit.

Remember You’re The Mother Of The Bride - Not Her Bridesmaid

As a bridal party member, you should stand out, but not for wearing the same as the bridesmaids or matron of honour. Instead, choose a style and colour that will complement them, using a different hue of the wedding colour palette. For example, a mother of the bride dress in champagne can be stunning, as it works with all other colours and looks good in photos. 

Stylish, Elegant & Fashionable Mother Of The Bride Dresses

A chiffon dress or wrap-dress is great with all body shapes. They can be worn with long or short sleeves, in knee length or midi designs. With almost all styles of mother of the bride dresses, you can add a jacket or elegant pashmina if the weather is cool. 

Why not try an elegant jumpsuit or pantsuit? The outfit you choose should reflect the level of formality of the wedding. For casual summer weddings, think long floaty dresses, or for a more formal affair, a navy mother of the bride dress always looks elegant. For those choosing to wear a long dress, check out our guide for what shoes to wear with a maxi dress for maximum comfort and style.

Weather & Place Appropriate Mother of The Bride Wedding Outfits

You’ll also have to find a weather-appropriate mother of the bride outfit depending on the wedding season or venue. For example, a lovely mother of the bride dress and coat set will look fabulous in a cold church, but you couldn’t rock that look at a beach wedding in Antigua.

Where Can You Buy A Mother Of The Bride Dress?

The list includes bridal shops, high-street shops, and small fashion boutiques. Don’t forget to look through the NA-KD range of stunning outfits and accessories that will flatter you. Remember, give yourself enough time to choose your mother of the bride dress and to browse for the perfect accessories.