Being the mother of the bride is a bittersweet occasion. It means you have successfully raised your daughter and she is about to marry the man of her dreams.

It is an exciting time in her life and for your family. You want to look your best for her special day so here are five tips for picking the perfect dress on this momentous occasion:

1. Pick a style that looks the best on you! While you may have a certain colour or theme for the wedding, you want to ultimately pick a dress style that is flattering for your figure. Take some time to explore options online and look at some online designer dresses. You may get an idea of what you want to look for after you look at various styles online. When you are considering a style make sure to think about how comfortable it will be. The last thing you want to be is uncomfortable when you are moving around on a day that could easily last 6-8 hours!
2. Choose a colour that brings out your facial features and complements your skin. Unless your daughter has specifically asked you to, you do not necessarily have to wear the same colour as the bridesmaids. However, you should pick a colour that goes with the colour palette and does not clash with the other dresses. If you are in contact with the groom’s mother, it is also beneficial to make sure the colour of your dress does not clash with her dress. There will be a lot of pictures and you do not want to stand out like a sore thumb. The focus should be on your beautiful daughter and her new husband!
3. Start shopping at least six months prior to the wedding date. You want to have enough time to find the perfect dress and have it altered if necessary. As the mother of the bride, dress up to be the best version of yourself on this exciting day. Take your daughter along with you or send her some pictures to see what she thinks. Shopping this early in advance will also help keep your options open. Dresses from certain designers cannot be delivered by the following week or even month. The production process can be longer than you would expect and you don’t want to limit your options.
4. Consider the season, time of day and the setting of the ceremony and reception. You don’t want to be sporting the latest sleeveless, knee length dress in the dead of winter. If the ceremony will be outside and the reception will be indoors, you may consider a wrap for your dress. Looking at websites of an online designer may help brainstorm some accessory options for different weather situations.
5. Do some research. If you find a dress you like in stores, but it does not come in the colour you wanted look around online. Another thing to consider is looking into an Australian designer because they often take fashion ideas from the best markets all over the world. There are so many options available with the Internet. If you leave yourself enough time you could even be able to order a one-of-a-kind dress online!

Picking the perfect dress is certainly fun, but most of all enjoy your daughter’s special day.

Have you had any experience shopping for a mother of the bride outfit? Please SHARE your experience in the comments below.

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