3 Tips for Finding a Mother of the Bride or Groom Dress

Last week I was in Nashville, TN with my good friend, Lisa (another midlife blogger), who took me to all the great bridal salons to look for my ‘Mother of the Groom’ dress. And during this process, I determined these 3 tips for finding a mother of the bride or groom dress that are essential for a successful shopping trip!

Tip #1: Try them all on!

First of all, my number one tip for ultimately finding a dress that you’ll love is to try them all on. No matter if you think you’re going to be a fan or not, because there’s always the possibility that you might love it. My only exception to this rule is if the dress is out of your price range, or if it doesn’t come in a color you’ve been requested to wear.

Lisa said it best, “You’ve got to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince charming!” This applies to finding the ‘just right’ style as well.

This is the first dress I tried on. I love the beading and the cap sleeve of the style. However, I figured out that I’d preferred something without as much beading on it.

I did love the sweeping train, and the beaded ‘belt’ around the waistline, as well as the wide v-neck that is so feminine.

Also, I know that lots of women in these middle years have great reservations about our arms, and if you’d prefer a dress with a little coverage over the arms, there are LOTS of fabulous options out there! No matter if you want a cap sleeve, elbow length, 3/4 sleeve, or full length sleeves… there’s something for everyone.

Tip #2: Try to have a budget in mind before you begin.

Also, it’s good to acknowledge that once you start looking at all the options, it’s easy to get carried away! Furthermore, you might need to have the gown altered, and that will be an added, and sometimes pricey, endeavor depending on what’s being done.

Even if you manage to find your exact size in the gown of your dreams, the odds that it will need to be altered in some way is very high, so make sure to leave some room in the budget for that. In fact , the dress I ended up purchasing was my exact size, however the hips will need to be taken in some and a few other nips and tucks will need to be done in order for it to fit as needed. So buyer beware!

I tried to locate this sparkling gold gown above with the asymmetrical neckline and bow detail, but was unsuccessful. I’ll link a few more gowns at the bottom of the post that have sleeves for you to browse through. If I happen upon this dress in the future, I’ll make sure to link it here!

This one of the dresses I didn’t think I was going to like. I really am not a fan of the asymmetrical style, but once I got it on, my opinion changed! I love the bow detail, the ruching at the bodice and the slimming silhouette. A definite contender for mother of the groom.

Tip #3: Take some shapewear, and shoes to wear for try-ons.

Finally, shapewear is a ‘must-have’ for me when it comes to form-fitting gowns. I simply want… need a little support around the midsection and hips. It really does tend to smooth things out, and gives some confidence in order to wear certain cuts. I will try and get a blog post up before the end of May with my favorite shapewear for styling these gowns.

For all of these photos, I am wearing a type of ‘boy short’ shapewear and strapless bra. These are subject to change for the actual wedding itself. I’ll let you know exactly what I decide when I get my dress altered!

Also, my sister bought me a fabulous pair of Kate Spade shoes to wear for the wedding as a Christmas gift. So, I brought them with me to all of the try-ons. It is helpful for judging the length and final look of the gown. I think it would be really important to have the shoes, or know the exact heel height, for any fittings.

Okay. I nicknamed this square neck, puffed sleeve, sheath dress the ‘Bridgerton’! It was love at first sight! Really. Both Lisa and I loved the simple elegance of the gown. In particular I was fond of the neckline, the insert at the waist, and the buttons that lined the back of the gown. However, it needed to be in champagne, not black. Again though… It’s finalist for mother of the groom dress!

A few more gowns that have sleeve are linked below.

Also, this is the first post of my ‘mother or the bride or groom dresses’ series! Make sure you are subscribed to the blog so that you don’t miss anything!

And, you’ll want to head on over to the Fashion tab for more daily style inspiration!

As always, I hope you’ve found this post valuable! I’d love to hear your thoughts and questions. Also, if you have any ideas for future posts, please drop them in the comments below!

Happy shopping!

XOXO,

Cindyh