Mother of the Bride Dresses
Before you even begin to think about what you will wear on yourdaughter’s big day, etiquette states that you wait until the bride hasbought her dress. This will let you choose a dress for yourself thatcomplements that of the bride and you’ll also be able to ask for heropinion on what type of dress of you should wear at a time when she’snot worried about what she’s wearing herself. And although it is a bigday for you, it really is the bride’s day and so, she should be able tochoose her own first. While your daughter is choosing her gown, youshould set a budget for your own outfit, including accessories andalterations. This will keep you from getting swept up in the excitementof it all and going overboard on a dress that you can’t really afford.
When and Where to Look
Hopefully your daughter will have picked out her dress at least sixmonths before the day of the wedding and if so, that’s a good time tostart looking. Although it probably won’t take you that long to find adress that you love, it will give you enough time to have multiplefittings and it will also give the store time to order it if you needone in your size or color that’s not in stock.
When you areshopping for your daughter’s dress, you may want to peruse the sectionsof the bridal salons and boutiques that are reserved formother-of-the-bride dresses. Often these stores are on the pricey sidebecause they are specialty stores but even if you can’t afford thedresses there, it will give you a good idea of what you like and whatto look for elsewhere. Department stores usually have a department forformalwear where you can find beautiful evening wear for cheaper thanthe bridal stores.
Remember Etiquette
As with everything related to weddings, there is a proper etiquettethat goes along with choosing a mother-of -the-bride dress. White isnever a good idea for anyone to wear except for the bride and black isalso thought to be inappropriate because it’s a sign of mourning aswell as a symbol of bad luck. It’s also important to remember thatafter you have bought your dress, the mother-of-the-groom will want tobuy hers and so, you or your daughter should make her aware of what youwill be wearing. Not only will this allow her to take cues from you asto the tone and style of dress, but it will also allow her to wear adress that matches or coordinates to give the overall look of thewedding a smooth and finished feel.
There are certainly someguidelines to follow when buying a mother-of-the-bride dress and somekey points to keep in mind however it’s also important that you havefun with it! Your daughter’s wedding will be one that you remember forthe rest of your life and you want it to be a happy and exciting timeso don’t get too caught up in all the ‘rules’!
