18 Best Mother-of-the-Bride Dresses for Every Style (2024)

FAQs

How do I find the perfect mother of the bride dress? ›

The most popular color for the mother of the bride to wear is navy or a royal blue, followed by blush or a shade of nude. It's safe to say that you should never wear white and shy away from the overall color family unless the bride instructs you to wear a certain shade. Traditionally, another color to avoid is red.

Try blues, greens, purples, and neutrals such as navy, emerald, plum, or silver. These versatile – and universally flattering – palettes make it easy for mothers of the bride and groom to harmonize. With pale green and blue tints, we love silvery shades for Mum, while jewel tones pair well with other rich colours.

While dressing in too revealing a style isn't advisable for any guest, you can dress to emphasise your assets - a sleeveless dress to show toned arms, belts to highlight your waist or a shorter length for great legs. Keep styling simple and avoid too much embellishment, which can look fussy in photos.

There's not one specific color the mother of the bride should wear. But unless you've received approval from the couple, it's best to steer clear from white, ivory or champagne hues as not to take attention away from the bride.

Mother of the Bride & Groom

Both the mother of the bride and the mother of the groom are expected to pay for their own wedding attire. Typically, these gowns do not need to match the bridesmaid dresses, however, some brides prefer for the gowns to coordinate in some way.

Generally, we recommend giving yourself 6-8 months to shop for the right dress.

To augment the distinction, you can choose different accessories. It's best to stay away from white or any shade matching the dress of the bride unless you have her explicit consent. The good news is that MOB and MOG dresses are not relegated to the realm of boring colors any more.

A: The Mother of the Bride needs to coordinate with the Mother of the Groom and decide whether they will be wearing long or short dresses, but both are acceptable.

A mother of the bride or groom can never go wrong with a floral dress, and, this year, the bolder the florals the better. “For 2024, I anticipate a trend towards bold and large floral prints for mothers,” says bridal stylist Erika Plackowski.

What should a mother wear to her daughter's wedding? ›

Fashionable, tasteful and age-appropriate are in. These days, virtually anything goes—formal gown, short or long dress, skirt-and-jacket ensemble—so long as it matches the style of the wedding. Brides can be very helpful by encouraging "the moms" to work together in choosing their outfits.

Though, such classic color combinations as black and white is completely acceptable. We believe that going for a classic and elegant look is the best way to go. By choosing a dress with a sleek silhouette decorated with sophisticated details, you will make your daughter happy, as well as stun everyone around you.

There are certain colours that the mother of the bride should not wear. Unless otherwise instructed, is to never wear white or any colour close to what the bride has chosen to wear. Other standard colours to avoid include ivory, white and champagne. Another colour to avoid is black.

Many brides give their mom a personal, sentimental gift at some point before or after the ceremony as a token of their appreciation. All in all, it's a nice way to thank her for everything she's done for your special day—financially, emotionally or otherwise.

It's the mother of the bride's responsibility to greet all the guests she knows, and introduce herself to those she doesn't. The MOB should be part of the receiving line (if the couple is having one), and if not, she should go table to table to say hello to guests and thank them for attending.

Generally, we recommend giving yourself 6-8 months to shop for the right dress. You want enough time to find a dress you love and get any necessary alterations before the big day, so that your dress fits perfectly for the wedding.

What we recommend you wearing for a daytime wedding, is a swing or tea dress. As we mentioned earlier, this style of dress is one sure to stand the test of time, while ensuring you look quite the opposite of matronly.

Generally, you should expect to start your dress shopping around six months before the wedding. However, you should wait to hear from the bride's mother before you begin. She should let you know the color and style of her dress, so you can coordinate by selecting a complimentary design.

Knee-length dresses are perfect for more casual weddings, while midi-length dresses are a great choice for more formal events. For evening weddings, floor length mother of the bride gowns are the most traditional and formal option. These gowns exude elegance and sophistication, and are perfect for black-tie affairs.