3 Tips to Choose the Right Mother of the Bride Dress

The number one rule about choosing a dress for your adult child's wedding is to never try to upstage the bride with a too-flashy ensemble. Here are three more tips to help you select the right mother of the bride dress for the upcoming nuptials.

1. Coordinate With the Wedding Party

To look your best and enhance the color scheme for wedding photos, choose a dress hue that coordinates with the bridal party color theme. You can certainly choose a bright blue mother of the bride dress when you know the bridesmaids are wearing peach-dyed dresses. However, you'll feel more like a part of the wedding party when you select a dress that's in the same color family as the bridal party's attire.

If the bridesmaids are wearing dark fuchsia dresses, choose a mother of the bride dress in a lighter shade of fuchsia or pink. If the bridesmaids are attired in pale green dresses, choose a forest green fabric for your wedding outfit.

When you select a dress that fits the bridal party theme, you also have an easier time picking out your ensemble. When you have a limited number of colors from which to choose, you don’t have to make decisions from scratch.

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2. Know the Right Length to Wear

The formal or semi-formal theme of the wedding determines the appropriate length of the dress for the mother of the bride to wear. The time of day when the wedding takes place is also another factor that influences the proper dress length.

At informal wedding venues, mothers of the bride often wear sundresses, dressy pantsuits, or other low-key attire. For example, at an informal beach wedding, a lightweight cotton or synthetic print dress is completely appropriate. A too-fancy dress at a barnyard BBQ reception may be easily stained. For a farm wedding, choose a dress that looks good but can hold its own while you socialize, eat, and dance.

For semi-formal and daytime ceremonies, a knee-length or calf-length skirt, dress, or suit is appropriate. Wear a dress that's flattering and elegant but not overly embellished or glamorous. For a daytime cocktails-only reception, a floor-length dress is not out of line if the dress is plain and constructed of a monotone fabric.

Choose a sophisticated floor-length dress for a formal wedding held in the evening. Luxurious dress fabrics including velvet, taffeta, lace, and satin are great choices for formal evening weddings and banquets.

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3. Order Your Dress Early

Last-minute formalwear decisions can be difficult and add tension to already stressed-out wedding party members. When you order your dress early, you have the chance to try the dress on in the comfort of your home, have the dress altered if necessary, and take the dress along to choose perfectly matching shoes and other accessories.

According to wedding protocol, the mother of the bride should communicate with the mother of the groom about her dress choice. In some social circles, both of the moms wear dresses of similar hues to identify them in the post-ceremony receiving line.

While it isn't required that the mothers of the bride and groom must both wear matching outfits or colors, discussing your wedding attire choices with the groom's mother is a sweet opportunity to bond with the future in-laws. If you decide you prefer to wear a color that doesn't exactly match the bridesmaids dresses, and the mother of the groom has made the same decision, you can both discuss your color choices to ensure your dresses won't clash with each other or with the wedding theme.

Order the brand name or designer mother-of-the-bride outfit that's just right for you. Contact The Dress Outlet today. View all of our dresses and formal outfits on our website, and then order your favorites with fast, economical shipment directly to your U.S. or international address.

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