Help Mom Find the Perfect Dress for Your Wedding Day!
Thursday, May 27, 2010
There's no reason why mom should feel left out of all the wedding planning fun, after all it's her big day too; her little girl is all grown up and getting married! It's only right that what she wears should look gorgeous at a level that matches how proud she feels. Wedding gown trends change over time, as do bridesmaids dresses and lately there seems to have been a shift in mothers-of-the-bride dress styles as well and we want to share them with you. To make sure we have our facts straight, we went to the Allison at b.Hughes Bridal Formal. Last time I spoke to her, she shared with you some wonderful tips on finding your perfect dress so it's just fitting she also give us a better idea as to what goes into shopping for that perfect dress for your mom.
When should mom start looking for her dress?
After the bride picks her gown, and after she has made a decision on the bridesmaids dresses and the colors are picked then the mother of the bride can make her purchase.
What is the timeline for getting a dress for mom? For example, how long does it usually take if they order it through bHughes?
10-12 weeks and this does not inlude alterations. if they’re ordering.
What should mothers or brides keep in mind when picking a dress for mom?
Typically the mother-of-the-bride picks the length, color, and style first. Then the mother of the groom bases her decision off the mother of the bride's and she should avoid getting that same color but get something comparable style wise. Bear in mind that it is customary that the mother-of-the-bride does need to make a pretty quick decision because she picks her dress first like the color they're going with and style but most importantly, mom needs to keep in mind that the mother-of-the-groom is waiting on her to make her decision and the same 10-12 week time frame applies to her too.
What trends are you seeing for moms lately?
A lot of moms do not want the jacket and skirt look - the suit-ish look. Moms want to look good, they don’t want to outshine the bride but they don’t want to feel like they’re wearing a mom dress either.
So what would a non-mom dress be?
Badgley Mischka has some great dresses and they do great wraps and boleros to hide the arms as a good alternative to the jacket. Watters and Watters does great dresses too. They’re just not as dowdy and they still show their shape and they’re a little bit more fashionable but not overly so. Badgley Mischka and Vera Wangs' bridesmaid lines have good options as well but don’t look like a bridesmaid. Fabric like silk (dupioni and shantung) don’t look like bridesmaids dresses.
From the Vera Wang Maids Spring 2011 collection. Not too revealing, a beautiful and extremely classy style.
Badgley Mischka Bridesmaid collection. Left - gorgeous dark brown looks very sophisticated, and would look great even with a bolero in the same fabric. Right - raw silk lends a richer look to the dress.
What's a good rule of thumb when it comes to the style of dress and the style of a wedding?
There's no real rule, in general mothers prefer tea length or long. When in doubt, defer to the bride and the colors and theme she chooses.
Silk fabrics look richer and elegant.
There are resources all over for bridal gowns but not so much for moms - where do you recommend they find ideas?
Yeah there really aren’t a lot of resources! But you could look at real wedding features in magazines or online. The Knot (TheKnot.com) has a Mother of the Bride section.
Hot colors for this wedding season?
Champagnes, shades of brown, dark blues and light greens are really pretty. Navies go well with bridesmaids dress colors. Earth tones look great on most people. Black is debatable, again defer to the bride and if they want them wearing black or not.
Are there details to be mindful of?
Steer clear of bright, gaudy colors because you don’t want to stand out and take attention away from the bride and you don’t want to clash. Try not to look like a bridesmaid and stick with fabric that looks rich and of better quality like silk, both dupioni and shantung, look more polished and less like bridesmaids dresses.
Slightly off-shoulder cut neckline from Watters & Watters
What if the mother of the bride and the mother of the groom end up getting the same dress? Who gives in?
The mother of the groom. Mother of the bride always has first pick. Mother of the groom should always always check with the mother of the bride before they shop for their dress. That’s the tradition and it’s just good etiquette.
Any last bits of advice for moms when it comes to finding their wedding day outfit?
It's just as important for the mother of the bride to feel confident and beautiful - there's going to be a lot of pictures taken and everyone wants to look good. If you feel good showing off your leg, get something with a shorter skirt, and if you'd rather not, get a gown. Hands down you have to feel comfortable and if you don’t feel comfortable about it don’t do it. You should feel confident and beautiful because that’s what’s going to be reflected.
About the Author:
Tabitha
Blogging is something I’ve enjoyed doing for years. My interests lie mostly in lifestyle related topics like fashion, style, design, food and weddings. When I heard Ashley was looking to bring on new members to the ABG team, I jumped at the opportunity - I can’t think of a better way to stay involved in weddings than to write about them and to stay in touch with the trends and new ideas. Lucky for me, Ashley likes my blog and trusts my experience to bring me on and so far, it’s been a blast.
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Posted on May 27, 2010 |
Filed under: Advice & Planning, Attire & Accessories
1 Response to This Post
Posted on May 30, 2010 @ 8:31am