Mother of the Bride

Your daughter has set the date, it’s now time to start planning your mother of the bride outfit. This may fill you with excitement or dread! If it’s the latter then don’t despair.

You may love or hate getting dressed up… It’s a special day and you want to enjoy it so it’s important that you feel comfortable and at ease. The first thing is to chat to the bride to be, it’s her day and before you go rushing to the high street it’s important for her to purchase her dress first. This may set the feel or theme of the wedding and give you an idea or feel for your outfit.

There is some wedding etiquette you may like to follow, once you have chosen your outfit it is customary to let the mother of the groom know what you are wearing, colour and style, hat or not, if so big or small.

You should try and have your outfit three months before the wedding as this gives the mother of the groom enough time to purchase her outfit. This also gives you the opportunity to get your outfit altered and to find the perfect accessories, and of course the mother of bride hat!

The bride may give an idea of colour she may like you to wear, old fashion rules state that you should not wear white or cream but if the bride is OK then it can look super, also black is a no-no but I have seen some stunning chic black outfits teamed with an accent colour. Red was considered racey! And green bad luck! But I think anything goes as long as it’s in keeping with the wedding party.

There seems to be a move away from typical shift dresses with bolero jackets to more flattering pieces. Longer coats with coordinating shift dresses are flattering practical and hide those lumps and bumps. Dresses in textured fabrics with full or 3/4 length sleeves are a simple classic look. Also, the trend to match everything is moving away, I think adds personality to your outfit allowing you to mix and match colours and textures and hence is to be individual.

Hat or no hat – that is the big question?

Not so long ago huge hats for the mother of the bride were all the rage (whether it suited you or not) but now it’s all about feeling and looking elegant and comfortable. Full hats can be tricky at a wedding especially if the hat has a down brim, it can cast a shadow on the face on a sunny day and hence look bad on the wedding photographs. Also, a large brim hat can be slightly cumbersome and be knocked during the meeting and greeting.

If you still want a ‘showstopper hat’ with drama you could opt for a saucer or disc hat. A pillbox or button hat can be styled with height in the trim to also give that wow factor. If you are choosing a hat with netting, you should check if it’s OK with the bride as there is a bridal trend to wear the birdcage netting as an alternative to the traditional veil. Though feather fascinators are seeing their day, it’s still OK to wear a small headpiece or fascinator. A small structured leaf-shaped piece worn on the side of the head can be just enough to finish the outfit.

If you are able to make it down to my showroom (by appointment only), you will have fun trying on all the various shapes of hats and fascinators. I can then help and advise you on a style and fabric choice for your piece. I will also help you decide and match colours and produce a bespoke piece for your big day. If you need a hat in a hurry you can buy it directly of the shelf either from my online store or from one of my stockists.