A wedding is usually about the bride. And while this may be a stressful time for all involved, mothers of the bride should stop obsessing over the bride and start shopping for themselves as well. While all eyes will be on the bride, the mother of the bride will also draw some attention. But you want this to be positive attention as not to steal the spotlight from your daughter – the blushing bride.

You will experience many special moments on the wedding day, so you want to look your best. All eyes will be on your as you walk into the ceremony and at the reception. Not to mention the bazillion pictures that will commemorate this day. What you wear to the wedding is almost as important as what the bride is wearing. Here are some tips on what to wear and how to shop for your mother of the bride dress.

Communicate with the bride

Talk to the bride and get her vision for the day. She is, after all, the one who calls the shots. Give the opportunity to her. Find out from the bride what she would like you to wear and go with it.

Start early

Start shopping as early as possible for your mother of the bride dress. Of course, you need to wait until after the bride has chosen her wedding dress.  Once the colour scheme has been confirmed and the bridal party’s outfits have been chosen, you can go ahead and shop up a storm for the big day.

The dos and don’ts of matching

While matching your outfit to the colour scheme is fine, do not overdo it. Subtlety is always key. Once again, you don’t want to be stealing any attention away from the bride.

Choosing a colour

Decide on the colour you want to wear. Maybe it is a colour that matches the colour scheme, or perhaps it is a colour that looks good on you. Wearing white to a wedding is a big wedding blunder. Similarly, try to stay away from creams and ivories as well. Also, try to be in sync with the father of the bride’s outfit as well. Find out the formality of the event and dress appropriately.

Connect with the mother of the groom

The mother of the bride should contact the mother of the groom once she has chosen a style and colour of her dress. The groom’s mother does not have to wear a matching piece, but the skirt and sleeve length should ideally complement each other.

Author bio

This article was written for Gray and Osbourn and offers tips to mothers of the bride looking for the right dress.