Mother Of The Bride Dresses: What Color To Wear
Your daughter’s wedding day is around the corner, which is such an exciting time!
You will most likely have your hands full helping her, but it is important for mothers of the bride to find a perfect dress, too!
The question is… what color should the mother of the bride wear?! And is there a dress code for moms?!
The good news is that picking a mother of the bride outfit is easier than you think.
There is no doubt that you will find the perfect choice for the special day!
Don’t stress about the color of Mom’s dress. The best choice will show itself as your daughter goes through the wedding planning process.
Here are some hints (& beautiful dresses to make shopping easier!) to help you along the way as you plan for the special occasion.
What Color Mother Of The Bride Dress Should I Wear?
Before you choose what color to wear, the first thing (and the most important thing!) you will want to do is check with your daughter.
Ask your daughter if she has a preference for what wedding guests should wear.
Additionally, check with her to see if she has a preference on what important members of the wedding party should wear.
It’s always the best choice to go with what your daughter is imagining the wedding day to look like.
You will never regret going with her choice over your choice. After all, it is HER big day!
The bride may already have a certain color dress in mind that she thinks will be a perfect match, so you’ll save yourself a headache by checking with her first.
Be mindful when asking your daughter about her preference though.
Make sure that the intent of the conversation is clear – that your goal is to honor her wishes.
Sometimes a wedding can bring out all sorts of emotions for the bride, so you will want to make it clear that by asking, it is to help her out and not to make it about you.
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You want to help keep the spotlight on her, so any way you can make things easy for her is what you want to do.
If your daughter doesn’t have anything in mind, the best choice for the mother of the bride dress is either a neutral color or cooler color in a fit that matches your personal style.
Choosing a neutral color like a soft gold dress, such as rose gold, can make you look elegant without stealing the limelight.
Neutral colors include golds, silvers, browns, greys, and some beiges. This probably goes without saying, but be sure to steer clear of white!
You also play it safe by choosing neutral colors since they blend with virtually anything.
There is no chance of sticking out like a sore thumb when wearing neutral colors.
Cooler, lighter colors will also work. Examples of cooler colors are soft greens, blues, and purples.
These tend to work because they are not bright and bold.
The goal is to make sure you don’t clash with the wedding party or the wedding color scheme as a whole, so the softer the color the better off you are.
Mother Of The Bride Dress Ideas By Season
One way to pick the best colors for the perfect mother of the bride dress is to match the season.
While there isn’t one specific color that works best for each season, there are palettes that tend to work best based on the weather.
Here’s a breakdown to help make it easier to find the perfect dress.
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Spring Wedding
Spring weddings are great because it provides room to accommodate a lot of popular choices.
With a spring wedding, you can get away with a short cocktail dress or a long dress.
As the weather changes, there is a lot more room for flexibility in the type of dress you can wear.
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Summer Wedding
For a summer wedding, there is more flexibility and a lot less pressure to choose the “right color.”
Lots of times vibrant colors are welcome, and a short dress is okay.
Fall Wedding
For a fall wedding, picking the color of the mother of the bride dress is going to depend a lot on location.
If you’re in the North like I was when I got married, fall can be hit-or-miss.
If it is early fall, you will want more neutral colors than the summer, but you can still wear something shorter if you prefer.
If it is later in the fall, you may opt for a long dress with long sleeves in a darker shade like navy blue.
If the bride has not given a preference, you can wear a black dress, but shades of warmer colors such as brown and grey are also great choices.
Winter Wedding
Elegant mother of the bride dresses such as floor-length gowns are perfect for winter weddings.
And don’t think of matronly dresses when you hear floor-length gown – there are some seriously sexy options out there!
While you can wear vibrant colors for a winter wedding, many people opt for more subdued, neutral, and/or metallic hues.
You don’t have to stick to super dark colors for a winter wedding – you can still have fun with your dress.
Gold mother of the bride dresses are very popular for the winter months. This one is a personal favorite of mine!
Mother of the bride dress ideas by theme
When choosing the right mother of the bride dress, it will be important to also think of the theme and the formality of the occasion.
Knowing what the wedding dress looks like will help you not only pick out the dress color, but the length and type of the dress as well.
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For formal weddings, you will want to consider sleeve length as well as the length of the dress.
Long gowns or a floor-length dress are great options. Formal cocktail dresses are great for this occasion also.
Usually, an evening wedding tends to be formal unless otherwise specified.
A knee-length dress would be okay if it was matched with a more formal fabric or with sequins and sparkles.
Outdoor weddings can vary between being formal and informal. The exception to this would be a beach wedding, which is generally more informal.
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For an outdoor wedding, consider tea-length dresses or a-line dresses that won’t blow up in the breeze.
Also, consider wearing a short sleeve dress and adding layers. Neutral beach colors are a great choice for any type of outdoor wedding.
FAQs
What is the Most Popular Color For Mother Of The Bride Dress?
Gold & Navy!
Should The Mother Of The Bride Dress Be Long Or Short?
As mentioned, the bride’s mother can wear any length of dress she feels most confident in, so long as the bride is ok with it.
As with any other wedding guest dress, the mother of the bride dress length etiquette is to avoid anything incredibly short.
Should the mother of the bride match the bridal party?
It is always good to ask if you are expected to match the bridal party or not.
This is definitely a bride preference. Some brides may want everyone to match in order to have a matching color palette for photos, but others may not want a mother to match the bridesmaids’ dresses at all.
There are two main ways that the mother of the bride (and the mother of the groom!) can be similar to the bridesmaid dresses without matching them completely.
The first way is choosing a dress that is part of the same color family: Find a dress that has complementary colors without being the same exact color. For example, if the bridal party is wearing a bright green, you could go with a soft sea green.
Another great tip is to choose a similar dress that has a completely different fabric type. Choosing heavier fabrics than what the bridesmaids have will set you apart while still looking great in photos.
By using those two tips, you can make sure that your gown color is the right choice without blending in with the bridal party.
Should the mother of the bride and the mother of the groom wear different colors?
Not to keep repeating this, but whether or not the mother of the bride and the mother of the groom wear different colors may be a personal preference of the bride. Always check with the bride first!
There is no general rule regarding what mother of the bride and mother of the groom dresses should be worn in comparison to each other.
When choosing MOB and MOG dresses, you want to keep in mind what the groom will be wearing.
Just as you are trying to figure out about coordinating with the bride, the groom’s mother is doing the same thing, so make sure to consider the overall party before choosing.
Two other things to keep in mind are skin tone and body type.
If you do not have matching skin tones or body types, no one will expect you to match each other.
If you are on good terms with the mother of the groom, you can try your best to strike up a conversation about the subject to try to get a feel for what she’s thinking.
At the end of the day though, there is nothing wrong with the two of you matching.
However, if you are concerned, it is best to go with a neutral color since neutral colors look different on everybody.
Where should I find the perfect mother of the bride dress?
The best place to find the perfect mother of the bride dress is the same place (or a similar place) to where your daughter got her dress.
The second best option is to choose where the rest of the wedding party got their outfits.
By doing this, not only will you complement the bridal party, but you will know the most popular color or the current trends and can match that.
If you still want to go out on your own and get a dress solo, there are plenty of great retailers that offer mother-of-the-bride dresses. Here are a few we love:
Just don’t go hunting the same day as your daughter or even bring up your dress when she is going dress hunting. All of that can wait.
Alternatively, if the bridal party is wearing a soft color that you aren’t working about clashing with, you can shop for a MOTB dress anywhere you like.
Can the mother of the bride wear black?
Sure! Again, it all goes back to the bride’s wishes, the location, and the season.
Final Thoughts
A mom is such an important member of the wedding party, so having the right dress is imperative.
At the end of the day, it’s your daughter’s big day, so it is a good idea to get her input. You will want to choose something she likes over your personal preference.
There is no such thing as a perfect color for the mother of the bride dress.
As long as it is an elegant look that matches the formality of the wedding as well as the wedding theme, you will have the perfect dress.
Do not worry though- you will find the perfect match that is your own unique style while matching the party. Congratulations on the big day!
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