While so much more thought goes into the bride's dress than the bride of honor and the bride's maid's dresses, there is another very important dress that needs to also be selected with care: the mother of the bride's dress. There are a lot of considerations that should go into choosing the best dress for the mother of the bride to wear to the wedding, and some of those considerations can be learned about here.
What considerations should be made regarding color?
One of the big considerations the mother of the bride should consider when dress shopping is to purchase a dress that's appropriate in color. The mother of the bride should not choose a dress that is white or a color that is close to white, such as ivory, eggshell, or champagne.
The mother of the bride's dress should also not be a color that is traditionally chosen for other types of events or moods. For example, if she were to show up to the wedding wearing a black dress, then this would look as if she were in mourning or going to a funeral rather than a wedding. Also, too flashy of a dress, such as a bright red or hot pink dress, may look as if the mother of the bride were dressed up to go to a flashy party.
Another thing to consider with regards to the color is whether it should coordinate with the rest of the party's dresses. This will be up to the bride. Some brides prefer for the mother's dress to coordinate perfectly, while other brides are fine with the mother's dress simply being a color that is in the same color family as long as it is only a shade or two off from the other dresses. Then, there are brides that don't care what color of dress the mother wears. No matter what the bride's preferences, it is important for that preference to be made clear before dress shopping begins.
Does the mother of the bride need to wear a dress?
If the mother is thinking of wearing anything other than a dress, such as nice slacks or a long skirt, then she really should make sure this is going to be fine with the bride. While the mother doesn't necessarily have to wear something very fancy, she should at least wear a dress even if she is uncomfortable, unless the bride says otherwise.
How fancy can the mother of the bride go?
Some women like to go full-out any chance they get. If there is an occasion that allows them to dress up, they really like to dress up. However, when it comes to a wedding, the one hard-and-fast rule regarding dresses is that no one should be wearing a dress or gown that comes close to overshadowing the bride's gown.
Learn more about mother-of-the-bride dresses by reaching out to a dress store.