Where to Start: Mother of the Bride or Groom Dress Shopping

This is the second post for the ‘Mother of the Bride or Groom’ dress series. Knowing where to start looking for a ‘mother of the bride or groom’ dresses can be a bit overwhelming! So today’s tips are very practical, and things to consider before you actually try on any dresses.

All things considered, as mother of the groom, I can say this process has been very emotional. Just the thought of the wedding, my son getting married, and all that entails is daunting enough without me having to search for a dress I am satisfied enough to wear for such a grand occasion. My point is that you might simply be shopping for a ‘dress’, but it is so much more than that, so try to be patient with yourself. Give yourself time to mentally and emotionally walk through all of the things this time might present.

Find out the facts

First of all, find out from the bride, and mother of the bride if they have color and length preferences. In my case, the bride consulted with her mom and they determined that they would like the dresses to be champagne color, and floor length. This actually made the process of searching for a dress easier. The more you can narrow down your search, then the fewer options there are and less decisions to be made. Trust me… there are so many styles, colors, lengths, you’ll be happy to have some specifics before you begin the hunt!

Phone a friend

Next, call a friend(s) that you trust to go shopping with you… at least at the beginning! Give them the job of taking pictures, and or video of the gowns you like. Also, ask them to be honest with you about the fit, color, and style of the dresses you try on. Basically, they are there to hold your hand and offer moral and emotional support during this search. The right friend will know when it’s time to call it a day, or take a coffee break so you can ‘regroup’.

Browse the internet before you go into stores

One of the things that I did before actually going into the stores, was the search Nordstrom, Dillards, bridal websites and common evening gown designers to see what the current trends were for these dresses. This way I knew beforehand some styles I wanted to at least try on versus some that I wasn’t as interested in. Also, I had an idea of the price points and quality of some of the common designers gowns.

Some evening gown designers you could google might be:

Adrianna Papell, La Femme, Tadashi Shoji, BHLDN, Amsale, Jovani, Xscape, Mac Duggal, Alfred Sung, Kay Unger, Sachin and Babi, Eliza J, Lulus, Pisarro Nights.

Of course, there are tons of others, but simply browsing through these websites can give you some inspiration or a place to start!

Try a bridal salon

Finally, my friend Lisa and I started my journey at the bridal salon where she found her mother of the groom dress. It was such a good idea to go to the bridal salon because they have trained professionals who dress women in evening gowns everyday. That’s their job, and if with any luck you get a good stylist, they can help guide you and provide valuable insight! They will pull lots of styles, and find out what options are available to you.

The only thing you need to be aware of is that most of the bridal salons require that you make an appointment. You can generally request an appointment online, so it’s super easy and all the salons I contacted quickly got back to me with a confirmation email.

Did you miss 3 Tips for finding a mother of the bride or groom dress? Hop on over there to take a look!

There’s still so much information left to share about this topic of mother of the bride or groom dresses! I’ll do my best to share what I learn along this journey. Also, I’d love it if you have any thoughts, lessons you’ve learned, or if you have questions about the post, please share them in the comments! I’d love to hear them and know others will appreciate it too!

As always, happy shopping.

XOXO,

Cindyh