Shopping for my Mother-of-the-Groom Dress
Our son is getting married this summer! First off, let me say, that the Lord answered the prayers we’d been praying for his entire life by providing the most precious girl for him! They are well-matched, in love, and they make each other better. If you’ve been where I am, you know exactly what I mean! Now to find my mother-of-the-groom dress!
My Mother of the Groom Starting Spot
As the mother of the groom, I think we want to be gracious above all! Here are the heart attitudes that I’ve tried to keep in the forefront as I’ve been shopping and planning for this wedding:
- Consult with the Bride FIRST! She will have ideas about how she wants the parents to dress, and this is her day! Our bride was kind enough to include me with her mom, sister, and BFF in shopping for her wedding dress, which made me feel so special right from the beginning. I continue to consult with her — I tried on THIS dress (a contender) and THIS dress (hard pass!) for her over FaceTime just last night!
- Graciously Defer to the Mother of the Bride. When it comes to weddings in general, I think it’s important to remember that the marriage is more important than the wedding! The bride and groom are becoming their own family, and joining other existing family units as well. This is a time to build bridges and relationships!
- Consider the Wedding Details. Things like wedding theme, colors, venue, time of day, and level of formality are all important. You want to dress in context!
- If You’re the MOB, Reach Out to the MOG. My son’s future mother-in-law has given me suggestions on where to shop and openly shared details about her own dress-shopping process! I’m so grateful to her for that.
A Bit About the Wedding
As the mother of the groom, I want to look my elegant best, but I want the focus on the bride 👰, bridesmaids, and the mother of the bride! I also want to be comfortable. The wedding is outdoors (on grass), and the reception will involve dancing, so I need to be able to move! The bridesmaids are wearing blue dresses, and the mother of the bride will probably wear blue as well, so I’m planning to stick to a complementary color. (Read that: probably pink!) 😂.
What I’m NOT Looking For in a Mother-of-the-Groom Dress
I’m not looking for anything low-cut or with a high slit! Not only would I look ridiculous, but my family would be mortified! 🤣 Weirdly, I saw lots of both of those as I browsed online! I also saw a lot of darker colors, which don’t seem appropriate for our outdoor summer wedding.
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What I’m Looking For in a Mother-of-the-Groom Dress
I’m looking at dresses in soft pastels, a few bright colors, and a few floral prints. I’d rather not have something clingy that I have to wear shapewear under. The dress needs to be long, and the footwear will have to be appropriate for the setting. (Read that: no stilettos!)
As someone who is small-busted, v-necklines are not my friend! I don’t mind a one-shoulder dress, but a strapless dress will not stay up on me! Sleeveless is fine with me. An a-line or fit & flare would probably work best.
Where I’m Looking for Mother-of-the-Groom Dresses
I started where most of you would probably start: Nordstrom! Then I moved on from there. So far, I’ve ordered about 20 dresses! I’d rather order them and try them on at my home than go out to the stores. It can be difficult to find my size.
On each site, I put “mother-of-the-bride dresses” into the search engine. Then I used the filter buttons provided to filter by things like size, hemline, sleeve length, and color. Here are some collections I’ve looked at, as well as stores where I’ve looked. (Click through to check out the selections at each spot.)
- Nordstrom (THIS Mac Duggal dress is an early fave!)
- Dillard’s (I loved the color of THIS one, but it was too flashy when I tried it on.)
- Macy’s
- Saks Fifth Avenue (Lots of dresses, in a wide range of prices!)
- Neiman Marcus (I like the style of THIS dress, but not the color!)
- Sachin and Babi (THIS dress is an early favorite!)
- Marchesa (I loved THIS dress, but it was a 20-week pre-order, so I passed! 🤪)
- Teri Jon (Elegant darker colored dresses, but too few pastels for my event.)
- Adrianna Papell (THIS dress is pretty but may be too close to my skin tone.)
- Dessy Collection (This collection is also carried at Nordstrom.)
- Vince Camuto (Nice short dresses as well as some long ones. Also at Nordstrom.)
- Tadashi Shoji Collection (Available at Nordstrom.)
- JS Collections (Available at Nordstrom.)
- Alex Evenings Collection (Available at Nordstrom.)
- Ignite Evenings (Available at Dillard’s)
Take a look at some of my favorites below (including all of the ones I’ve ordered), and click on any you like for more information. I’ve numbered the dresses, so let me know your favorites in the comments of this post, okay?
If you have any other suggestions for places to shop for mother-of-the-bride or mother-of-the-groom dresses, I’d love to hear them! I can use all the help I can get! Leave me a comment and fill me in on which dress you like, okay?
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Beautiful gowns!
I think you would look amazing and be so comfortable in the Kay Unger (green or pink)!
I have only ever been the mother of the groom… And I found that having a dress and shoes that never crossed my mind once the night begins is paramount to a beautiful and memorable evening! How exciting!!!
Paula,
That is excellent advice! Our wedding is at 1:30 in the afternoon and will go into the night, so that’s really important to me too! Thank you so much for your great style selections!
xoxo
Suzy
Suzy, I have been shopping for a mother of the bride dress. Our wedding is in November and the bridesmaids all in emerald green. Been looking for Navy, burgundy or green. I love your choices. So pretty. I found some on LuLu’s and Belk and Adrianna Papell in addition to Nordstroms and Dillards. I ended up buying one from Nordstroms that was a splash of all those colors and it it’s one shoulder dress. Congratulations on your wedding!!
PS I love your 4th- 7th dress picks and the blue one further down the best but they are all beautiful ❤️
Sherry,
Those are all great choices! I know you’ll look beautiful and I’m excited about your wedding! I know you’ve probably done an amazing job making the MOG feel loved, included, and special! My MOB has been amazing, and I adore her!
xoxo
Suzy
Can’t wait to see what you choose. Yes, MOG and I text frequently to coordinate and talk wedding. She is also a recent first time grandmother from her daughter and son-in-law so is very distracted with that precious baby right now. ❤️
Sherry,
I know you are gracious and lovely! I am the MOG that is also distracted by my first grandbaby, so I have a great affinity for your MOG!
xoxo
Suzy
Hi Suzy! Mother of the bride/groom dress shopping can take some time! My son and daughter got married 5 months apart, so I kept at it for both, and asked what color they preferred I wear. I did not want any low cut or cleavage, and the consultant at one bridal boutique advised to wear off the shoulder-it went straight across and my shoulders were the only thing showing! The next one was a high scoop neck . My goal was not to detract from the rest of the wedding party but to look elegant and pulled together while being comfortable. Jade Couture was the best fit for me. Enjoy the wedding season!
Cathy,
Your advice is SO good, and I am grateful for it! Thank you. I, too, want to look elegant and sort of fade into the background! It’s going to be such a sweet day!
xoxo
Suzy
When my younger daughter got married, I scoured stores in Dallas, ordered dresses online, and even had the opportunity to shop – twice – in NYC while accompanying my husband on business but never found anything I really wanted. My friend took me to Beside the Bride in downtown Lewisville (TX) and I found two dresses I loved and decided on one. When my oldest daughter recently got married, I had a dress from Nordstrom and one from Neiman that I was trying to decide between when I once again went to Beside The Bride and bought the dress I eventually wore to the wedding without even consulting anyone (daughter included) because I knew it was “the one”.
Cherie,
WOW! I have never heard of that place, but I may yet end up there! As I’m trying dresses on, I feel like I’m getting close to zoning in on my perfect style! We’ll see! I still have lots I’ve ordered that haven’t come in yet, so I’m definitely still in the works!
xoxo
Suzy
Yes to Beside the Bride! That’s where I found my MOG dress! You make an appointment and the young ladies who work there are so sweet.
Christi,
Wonderful! Thank you so much!
xoxo
Suzy
https://balticborn.com/collections/dresses?gclid=Cj0KCQjwi46iBhDyARIsAE3nVrbPsvkHU0l5eVmjZzpWL_ulOSL3IulNzDMsKbckXQ_g0dj2wWFcGiQaAtGgEALw_wcB
Joan,
Thank you so much for sharing this site! I think I’m looking for something a little more formal than I saw when I checked it out, but I’m so glad to know about it!
xoxo
Suzy
Hi Suzy,
Congratulations on your son’s wedding! I too have a son getting married this summer. I have had lots of luck at Bloomingdale’s. I got my dress and others from them for special occasions. They have gorgeous dresses in pastels and deep colors. I chose a pretty pastel lilac with dainty flowers, it fits like a dream! (link below) best wishes on all your events!
Karoline,
Ohhhh, I haven’t looked at Bloomingdales (https://rstyle.me/+X5rjPsI5UE2PgUlsFsXf1g), but I’m going to check out their selection! Thank you so much! You’re the best!!!
xoxo
Suzy
Oh, I just bet you would definitely look stunning in the Kay Unger Senna Mikado floral! What a blessed summer you have in store! Thank you for all your wonderful information in your post despite your very busy schedules. You rock 🌞
Helena,
Thank you for your thoughts! I do love that one. It hasn’t arrived yet, but it’s ordered and I can’t wait to try it on!
xoxo
Suzy
Hi Suzy,
Congrats on your son’s wedding. I’ve only been MOG. I also went through so many dresses before I found the one!
You have such a lovely figure, so my only thought is to go with the fitted rather than blouson tops. If you’re like me you will know when it’s the right one. You won’t second guess yourself.
All the best! Exciting time!
Nancy
Nancy,
Thank you so much! That is such good advice! I am grateful for you and your support!
xoxo
Suzy
Hi Suzy!
My vote is for dress 12 and 24!
Loved your post, great timing!
My son is getting married in December so I am also looking for dresses. I know what you mean. I want to be dressed appropriately, but not frumpy. The bridesmaid’s dresses are velvet navy blue, and her mom is wearing champagne. Any suggestions on a complimentary color or style for December?
Thank you!
Diane,
Thanks so much for your votes! I know you’ll find a great dress, and I hope I at least helped you with your sources! With the bridesmaid dresses being navy and the MOB wearing champagne, I might suggest an emerald green or burgandy. Good luck!
xoxo
Suzy
The sources you provided were fantastic! Thank you for the color suggestions!
Diane,
So happy to help! I know you’ll look amazing!
xoxo
Suzy
You seem to be on your way, so hopefully, my thoughts won’t bring confusion.
When I was a MOB, I started off at all of the traditional stores you listed here – I didn’t like anything. They were all too matronly and overpriced. Honestly, I think once you put the word wedding on anything, the price automatically goes up.
I knew I wanted something different and original. I was never concerned about upstaging the bride because it was her day and my looking beautiful would not detract from that.
I kept looking. I finally found my dress at an out-of-the-way store at the mall – not even a boutique. I tried it on, and it fit beautifully. I went to Joannes Fabric and bought a yard of chiffon that matched the dress perfectly and had my seamstress make a beautiful shawl. The whole thing was perfect.
So, if you’re willing to look outside of the box you might find your perfect dress.
Congratulations!!!!!
Nylse,
You are so resourceful! Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and ideas. I love the idea of having a shawl made! You’re so right; I don’t think anyone can upstage a bride!
xoxo
Suzy