Top 4 Essential Dress Shopping Tips for Mom

You’ll be including your mom in many memorable moments throughout your wedding day. You want her to look and feel her very best too. We have the top four essential dress shopping tips for mom to help guide you through the journey of choosing her gown.

Get an Early Start

I’m sure your mom already has an idea of the vision of your wedding. Sit down and discuss with her how formal you’d like the wedding the be and the color scheme you’re leaning toward. If you have a few ideas in mind, show her photos of dresses you’ve found that you think will fit her well to lead her in the right direction.

Ideally, six months pre-wedding is when you should begin shopping for the dress. This period provides ample time to find the gown, shoes, and accessories and complete alterations if they’re necessary.

What’s Her Style

Your mom doesn’t want to upstage you, but she also doesn’t want to look frumpy or be afraid to dazzle. She has plenty of options to help her sparkle and shine without going over the top. If there’s a particular style you’d like your mom to wear that she’s not keen on, find a compromise you’ll both enjoy.

Anything from a chic suit to a fun cocktail dress to a full-length evening gown will work, as long as it fits the tone of the wedding and lets her feel comfortable. This day is special to her, just as it’s special for you.

Wedding Colors

Some brides appreciate when their mothers wear a dress incorporating the color scheme of the wedding, but it’s not necessary. The mother of the bride’s dress should complement, not clash. Traditionally, the colors to avoid are ivory, white, or champagne to avoid looking too bridal. Other colors to avoid are black and red. Black suggests mourning, and red tends to be too flashy. Blush, metallics, jewel tones, and navy are all fabulous color choices.

Standards and trends are shifting, so if you feel comfortable with your mother wearing a white gown, by all means, she can wear white. Whatever makes both of you feel comfortable and happy.

Consider Logistics

The last essential dress shopping tip for mom is to consider the logistics of the wedding day. What time of year will the wedding occur? Consider the time of day as well. You may want to avoid long sleeves during a summer wedding or a short cocktail dress during a winter wedding.

Also, think about any religious or cultural customs that could dictate the dress code.

At Effie’s Boutique, we have a wide variety of mother-of-the-bride couture evening gowns for your choosing. If you’d prefer something less formal, we have a variety of other dresses as well.