From the moment your daughter announces her engagement, until the day after the wedding, you, as the mother of the bride, are as excited as your daughter. Are you remembering your own wedding time and deciding how her special day should go? The reality is that this is her big day. Even if you are helping out financially, commit to simply being a thoughtful and considerate consultant. Since she will have her own ideas of what she wants, you can focus on the areas that you can be comfortably responsible for: how to present yourself at this once-in-a-lifetime occasion.
Every time you share an event with your daughter, people will be observing you. You walk her down the aisle, are introduced at the shower or reception and the clothes and jewelry you wear at these times require planning. Your daughter will also be thinking about you as she considers her dress, bridal party outfits, and wedding color scheme and theme.
Spend some time together with bridal magazines before that first visit to the specialty shop. Every bridal publication has ads for the mother of the bride. Don’t leave your dress choice to the last minute. You may need to special order your size or color and to return for fittings, so give yourself plenty of time to shop and select.
New outfits and jewelry make not just the wedding day feel special. You can use the bridal shower, rehearsal dinner and wedding brunch to dress and accessorize as you wish. And don’t forget: these events will be filmed and photographed!
What to Wear to a Bridal Shower
This is usually the first event surrounding the wedding and is intended as a gift giving occasion for the bride. Customarily the maid of honor and/or bridesmaids host and often there is a theme and or color scheme surrounding this ladies only fête. It is a light hearted, joyful day and whether it incorporates the playful tradition of the bridal hat made of bows or not, a healthy dose of feminine whimsy is always in order. You may be meeting some dear friends and members of the groom’s family for the first time here, so of course you want to look and feel your best. Wear something that is upbeat and inviting; this flowing floral maxi dress paired with a fanciful floral necklace emanates warmth and ease.
Mother of the Bride Rehearsal Dress and Dinner
The purpose of the ceremony rehearsal is to make sure everyone in the wedding party knows their part. It may well be the first time that all of these people, who matter so much to the couple and their families, are coming together and some may have traveled some distance. The after-rehearsal dinner is a wonderful opportunity for introductions and real conversation that there may not be time for during the flurry of the wedding. It may be held in a restaurant, hotel or in someone’s home and dressy attire is appropriate for the mother of the bride at this evening event. A cocktail dress in a flattering color with a matching statement necklace is celebratory and tastefully alluring. You may not be the official host of this dinner but as the mother of the bride, your gracious shine adds to the anticipation of the big day ahead.
Mother of the Bride Dress Etiquette
Your dress may be the most important one you shop for since you shopped for your own wedding dress. You will probably shop together with your daughter for her dress, but she may not have time to help you select yours. Therefore, a few things to keep in mind.
We’ve said it before but it warrants repeating – don’t leave this to the last minute. Know if your daughter has any preferences as to shade or style in order to coordinate with the rest of the party. And do check with the mother of the groom so there are no clashing colors.
Today, a MOB can wear a halter dress with a removable jacket , a suit or something more elaborate; in other words, something formal and elegant to something trending and chic. You want to look your best but not upstage the bride. Choose an outfit you will wear again. Consider the length and possible future alterations.
Mother of the bride dresses are generally neutral colors: bone, champagne, navy or black — shades which go beautifully with the bride’s white. Your jewelry can provide accents of the wedding colors. Pair a lovely, subtly embellished champagne outfit with a customized necklace. Our matrix design blends hundreds of freshwater pearls and crystals; picture it in the colors of the bride’s bouquet, harmonizing your ensemble with the wedding theme while setting you apart as the esteemed mother of the bride.
Post Wedding Brunch
This is often held when there are out of town guests. It tends to be casual as people are preparing to depart and travel home. But you, the mother of the bride, can use this final gathering to leave a lovely lasting impression.
Wear something relaxed but polished such as a day dress or a smart pants suit. In this outfit, dress slacks and a luxurious chiffon top and jacket is paired with stunning one-a-kind jewelry. Creating an ensemble with understated but unique stylish pieces elevates an informal brunch look to something really special.
No matter how much preparation you and your daughter do, this is going to be an emotional time for both of you. But it is also a glorious opportunity to enhance your relationship as she moves on to the next phase of her life. Best wishes!
The Wedding Collection
Comments 63
Great post Roslyn. Definitely keep that in mind for my mum when I get married lol. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Author
It is really nice Stephanie D’Laroy to be thinking about your mom’s needs when you have so much on your mind for yourself. Glad you found post helpful.
I didn’t know there are so many clothes to wear. Lol. These are great tips, though, and I will definitely keep them in mind when my daughter gets married.
Author
Esne Sy, these are suggestions for the different events. And it is good to know about it ahead of time as it can also help with the budgeting.
Your article brings back great memories of when both of my children were married. I think your advice is good both for daughters’ and sons’ weddings. They are such happy times and your advice to plan your outfits early is excellent. Of course we moms don’t want to clash with our daughter nor outshine her colors nor those of a daughter-in-law.
Author
So great Beth Niebuhr that it brought back memories. We do agree the tips work for mother of the bride or groom.
Great post, Roslyn. This is so helpful for the mother of the brides that don’t dress up often. My mother got her dress made when I got married. She was a seamstress before being a small business owner so she knew how to make dresses but she wanted to have someone else do it so she asked a close friend who altered my wedding gown to make it. They were both really beautiful and I will treasure the time we spent picking out the material and the fittings always. Thanks for sharing.
Author
Thank you, Sabrina Quairoll for sharing your personal story. Tomorrow 2/3/16 I have a wedding post @ 12:43 you can post a photo of your wedding dress & that of your mom’s. It was so great that your mom had someone els make her dress. Took some stress away & you shared in the process. Lovely experience.
Thanks for the great information…I will be passing along.
Author
Thanks for passing our blog along to the women in your life. It could help you out when you are thinking of buying a gift.
What perfect fashions for each event! And I just love the way you pair the necklaces with the dresses. Beautiful!
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Thank you Susan Mary Malon for your precise admiration.
This is great info! You saw a need and filled it, awesome job!
Author
Yes, this is the start of the wedding season. We stay current with season, events, trending.
Beautiful! I love all those pieces – so unique!
Great tips, too. It’s hard to dress for all those events that happen close together when you are the mother of the bride or groom!
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Kimberly, you are so right. Many events & you don’t want to get stuck reaching into your closet for something you’ve worn many times. These are special events to treasure.
Those are beautiful outfits! Maybe some day you will write an article about what to wear for a photo shoot! 🙂
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Teresa, do you have a particular photo shoot in mind? Is it for fashion, modeling, outdoors- What are you thinking about?
Great tips and timely, too, especially for those brides getting married this summer…and for those mothers of the brides are who are releasing their first daughter into the wild. 😉 Love the look of Eostre, although the colors are too pale for me. I like vivid!
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Appreciate your comment Jackie Harder. I will make a vivid piece in this style probably for winter holidays.
Based on your lovely step by step for both the mother of the bride and the bride Roslyn, I realized how non-conventional my wedding actually must have seemed back in 1975! Those who have read my book got a bit of an inside peek at the day’s events and my wedding dress, which was considered to have a neckline that was too plunging and required a huge flower in the decolletage. My mother wore a bold floral print dress with a high neck and large flower.
Having been to several other people’s dress rehearsal dinners, I still didn’t realize there was so much involved before and after a big wedding. This is great insight and of course the jewelry pairings you showed beautifully complement each of the individual events. A special time indeed for everyone involved.
Author
Beverley Golden, Many of us have had non-conventional weddings depending on the person. Although I wore a big hoop white borrowed gown, I wore sequinned sneakers hidden underneath. We had to beg the groom to replace his sandals with closed shoes. It all depends on family expectations, etc. Glad it brought you memories & you appreciated the pairings.
Love the clothes and the jewellery. You have offered some great advice. Two of our sons got married within months of each other a few years ago and it was a hectic time trying to find the right dresses for each occasion – made more interesting by the fact each wedding was so different. In each case, I spoke with the brides to be and MOBs to ensure good colour choices and styles.
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Of course, you did the right thing Tamuria, as Mother of the Groom. There are so many details, the clothing is just one, when planning a wedding. I think that is why people hire a wedding planner. Glad you loved the clothes & jewely.
Hi Rosalyn,
Though I am not one who looks to others to suggest what is appropriate me for me to wear to any occasion, I know that there are plenty of people in the world who do. I’m sure that they would say that you have done a great job defining for them 🙂
The outfits are lovely.
Author
Rachel Lavern, these are just suggestions & you are right, many people enjoy seeing examples. In our case, we are showing how our handcrafted jewelry goes with different outfits.
Perfect article at the perfect time. My best friend (since I was two) has a daughter getting married this month!!!
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Christy, I hope she has purchased some of her outfits. Perhaps you want to share the blog with her. Thanks for your comment & have a blast at the wedding.
Gorgeous outfits! I am hoping not to have to utilize this post anytime soon as my daughters are 19&7, but it will def come in handy when the time comes.
Author
Welcome to our blog Toni. Although labeled for mother of the bride, these ideas can be used for any occasion.
I like the part about “Don’t leave your dress choice to the last minute.”
Author
You know Will, that holds true for the males in a bridal party. At certain times of the year, if planning to rent a tuxedo, there can be a shortage in size or color. So, don’t leave your clothes ordering to the last minute.
My daughter is 14. I already feel a mix of sad and excited for the day of her wedding – which is hopefully 8+ years away. Really fun post and gorgeous jewelry!
Author
Thanks, Brenda Niemeyer, for your compliment. Glad you found the post fun. A new necklace for an outfit can occur for other occasions.
Hi Roslyn!
Wow so many awesome outfits for the mother of the bride! This post has come in handy for me as my daughter just got engaged over Valentines Day! Thanks for sharing the beautiful pieces of jewelry as well 🙂
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Congratulations on your daughter’s engagement Joan Harrington. If we can assist you with your jewelry for the outfits you buy, please get in touch.
Author
Hi Joan Harrington,
Congratulation on your daughters engagement. In previous comments, you have said you are not much of a jewelry person, but with many events to attend for your daughter you just might want to consider adding something to your lovely neck. Let us know if we can assist you. We’d be happy to make your decisions easy.
The article’s comment about making sure that the MOB dress goes beautifully with the bride’s dress. Some lighter shades positioned next to white can make the white look dingy! My favorite piece of jewelry is the 1st one shown – love the asymmetry – & also the fact that it could go with everything from jeans to MOB dress!
Author
Thanks, Joan Poter for your thoughts on this blog and adding to the conversation. I agree you have to be watchful to see how pastels or pale colors look near white. That is why taking time to gather as much info as you can when needing an ensemble, is useful. Agree the Tilly necklace you admire is a beautiful, one-of-a-kind gemstone piece in Rose Quartz. A great addition to any woman’s jewelry collection.
Love reading your blog and especially your story of “retiring” and then reinventing yourself and following your creativity! Good to see you and keep up via the Kim Garst group!
Author
Glad you enjoyed our blog, Catherine Tatum. As a fellow creative, you can appreciate the joy of designing for our future customers.
I love your post, Roslyn. For sure the bride is the star attraction on her wedding day yet it is also the day when a Mother (and Father) celebrate their child’s entering a new stage of life. What better way than showing the world that a mother wants to look her best for her daughter or son for that matter?
Author
You are so right Vatsala Shilka. The pride and happiness we feel for a child starting a new path in life can be expressed in looking special. And so often the focus is on everything for the wedding, we tend to overlook the other events as opportunities to always show our happiness through our attire.
Love the pairings you’ve made here. I wanted to comment on which was my favorite but I can’t decided! I don’t know when my daughters will be ready to get married, but now I’m thinking I’m going to have a lot of fun picking out new clothes and jewelry!
Author
And we hope Lisa Swanson when you select your dress for the some day daughter’s wedding, you let us assist you with your jewelry choice. But, we know, our jewelry is not just for special occasions. As a customer, you know you can wear most of our pieces anytime.
Very sweet post. I can relate as although my own daughter is just 7, we are looking for a first communion dress for her and now I need a new dress, too! I remember choosing my bridal gown as something special and also stressful. My sister was getting married 12 weeks before me so we were all busy. But I helped our mother find her dress for my sisters wedding and how the angels sang when we found it. Also when I performed in a music recital at age 40 I was drawn to dresses that were categorized as MotB dresses.
Author
Well, it seems Denise that you have a lot of experience shopping for special dresses. Once you purchase yours for your daughter’s communion, if we can assist with a suggestion or customizing your necklace, we’d be happy to help.
Thanks Roslyn, a lovely article with tips of what to wear for the Mother of the Bride…with necklaces…all very interesting and great.:-)
Author
You are welcome Katarina Anderson and just as people like to have tips on pairing wines and food,they seem to like tips on pairing jewelry and clothing.
What wonderful advice for the Mother-of-the-bride. Mothers need to know how special they can look just by adding complementary jewelry. Great photo suggestions .
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Thanks, Joyce Hansen for your complimentary words. I tend to think women as a whole need to be reminded of how special they can look, even daily with the right necklace for an outfit.
Roz, love this , i used to paint silk that then became an outfit- usually a bright coloured dramatic jacket with a skirt and top. one of your necklaces would have been a great addition xxoo
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Susie Cheel, I often wore a handpainted silk outfit to a wedding or special occasion. Yes, I can see many of our necklaces being a great complement to the outfit. Thanks for the memory.
Love how you matched the jewelry pieces with an outfit is a brilliant idea. Sometimes buying jewelry without trying it with an outfit makes it for too many trips to the store.
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Thanks Webly, for your comment & compliment. You made a great point that when looking to match an outfit to jewelry, bring it with you when shopping.
Just because you are the mother of the bride, doesn’t mean you can’t shine. Nobody will take away from the bride her beauty and her day… but having the rest of the party dolled up is still awesome. Great post Roz.. nice spin and lots of lovely jewels in this one!
Author
Exactly why we wrote a blog on this topic, Kristen Wilson. Most mothers will take the extra care and attention on their own outfit for the wedding. Often the other events are not planned for and mom grabs an outfit she always wears. Time for moms to shine too. I agree.
Beautiful reminder for a future mother of the groom. Love the ways that you offer great ideas.
Author
Thank you, Natasha Botkin for your comments on both of our recent blogs. We wanted to include Mothers of grooms but it got too cumbersome. All our tips apply to both and when it is time, we would love to support your decision making, perhaps a custom necklace or help match one we have to your new event clothing.
Your pieces continue to amaze me, they are so unique and beautiful!
I must share on my profile… you need more eyes on these. xox
Author
I agree Norma Doiron that more eyes on our jewelry, be it thru blogs, posts, and mostly sharing. Thanks for your support.
Thanks For Sharing such a great tips on Mother of the bride dresses. These tips are really helpful. I am also looking for mother of the bride dresses, and you help me to take a right decision on choosing one of the perfect dress for my mother. Again, thanks to share these amazing jewelry, dresses and specially for tips on two piece mother of the bride dress.
Glad you found these tips helpful Kelly. Have fun shopping with your mom for her dress. Let us know if we can assist with jewelry.