My MOG Dress Revealed + Wedding Event Outfits & Details
Our family is in the midst of wedding preparations for my son’s summer wedding, and I thought it would be fun to share all of my wedding event outfits as well as my MOG (Mother-of-the-Groom) dress! I’m also excited to have permission from my daughter to share her SOG (Sister-of-the-Groom) dresses as well!
Abby’s Dress | Abby’s Pearl Drop Earrings
A wedding is a precious (and private) family event! That means I’m trying very hard to be respectful of our sweet couple, secure permission before sharing anything, and not share anything that might ruin surprises or violate privacy. That means I’ll mostly be focused on sharing my wedding event outfits and a few others that I have permission to share! Thanks so much for your understanding of that.😄
Just like any wedding, ours comes with a fun flurry of events, including the proposal, couples shower, bridal shower, Rehearsal dinner (or, in our case, brunch!), and of course, the wedding itself. I’ll start at the beginning and work chronologically.
As always, click the pink text links or any image (including the collage above) for more information.
Dress Sources
After looking and looking, I found several excellent sources for dresses to wear to the Proposal Dinner and bridal showers. For all of these, I recommend using the links I have to go right to the dress sections and then utilizing the filter buttons on the left side of the page to filter by price, size, style, color, etc.
Suzy’s Pro Tip: I found the same prices on the same dresses at ALL of the department stores listed below, but slightly different selections. Once you select a designer with an aesthetic you like, try a couple of the department stores and search by designer.
- Tuckernuck – Beautifully curated with a variety of styles in mini, midi, and maxi dresses.
- Mac Duggal –
- Nordstrom – Especially these brands.
- Dillard’s – Specifically Antonio Melani. He often collaborates with other designers or even big influencers. I found one of my dresses as a part of his Antonio Melanie x Jennifer Sumko collaboration. His collab with The Antonio Melanie x Nat Note is bright and fun, and vacation-ready!
- Macy’s – Start HERE and sort by occasion!
- Neiman Marcus – Little known fact: They always offer FREE shipping & returns, just like Nordstrom!
The Proposal
Cornflower Blue Dress (Sold out but linked in other colors & similar styles below.) | Amazon Two Strap Heeled Sandal | Faux Sapphire & Crystal Earrings
Our sweet couple was kind enough to invite their immediate families to share in the joy of their proposal, and it was the sweetest time together. Everyone in our family wore blue because that’s Abby’s favorite color! This beautiful dress with a smocked bodice and long sleeves is one of the prettiest dresses I’ve ever owned! Unfortunately, it’s sold out in blue, but it comes in two other colors (HERE and HERE), and I’ve linked similar styles from the same brand below as well.
The faux sapphire earrings I wore come in 3 color options. They were my nod to Abby’s stunning vintage engagement ring, which you can see in the engagement photo above.
As an engagement gift, I gave Abby THIS Kate Spade Bridal Planner and THIS Jewelry Cleaner Pen.
Texas-Themed Couples Shower
Texas Dress | Similar Pink Cowboy Boots | Pearl Apple Watch Band
This past weekend, Bob and I hosted a Texas-themed couples shower for Connor & Abby! Personally, I think it’s easier to plan any party if you have a theme, and since Abby’s not from Texas, I wanted to give her and her family a taste of our warm Texas hospitality! It was so much fun to plan and execute! 🤠
- Invitations
- 100 ft. Texas Flag Banner (We cut it up and used it in various places throughout the house and outside.)
- Set of 12 Small Texas State Stick Flags (Again, we scattered these throughout.)
- Set of 24 Straw Cowboy Hats & Bandanas (I planned on these being super fun for us all to wear, but it turned out all of the women didn’t want to mess up their hair, so these were an epic fail! 🤠🤣)
- Acrylic Floral Centerpiece (Holding red & white rosebuds.) – If you’ve been following me for a while, you know I pull this baby out for every single party I host! It’s 43% off right now, making it a great deal. You’ll use it again and again, I promise!
I wanted to dress in accordance with the theme for the shower, but still be me! So when I found this Lilly Pulitzer Texas dress, I knew it was just the thing! (I’m wearing my usual XS size for reference.) This dress is affordable — for a Lilly Pulitzer dress. 😄 Lilly Pulitzer has done dresses in the same style for various cities and states! (Scroll through below to look for your happy place!)
Bridal Shower
Next week, I’m heading up to the Seattle area for a bridal shower for our darling bride! The shower will be outdoors under a tent in a beautiful garden, so I wanted to dress appropriately. I selected a beautiful gingham taffeta neck tie puff sleeve dress. I’ll be wearing it with this simple two-strap heeled sandal. I need to wear a block heel rather than a stiletto heel since we’ll be outdoors, and I want something simple since this dress is a lot! 😁
I’ll add my simple Mother of Pearl earrings and my pearl Apple Watch band to complete the look.
While I’m in the area for a few days, I’ll also be meeting the event coordinator and the florist at the venue for the Rehearsal Brunch. I’ll be making final approval on the table arrangement, menu, linens, flowers, and tablescapes.
Casual Backyard Dinner
The bride’s family is hosting a super casual come-and-go dinner in their backyard the night before the Rehearsal Brunch. I’ll be wearing THIS classic navy blue Nap Dress and THESE go-with-everything classy-but-casual nude sandals. I’ll pair them with my Mother of Pearl earrings and my pearl Apple Watch band again.
Rehearsal Brunch
Due to the timing of the wedding and the logistics involved, we opted for a Rehearsal Brunch rather than a Rehearsal Dinner. Brunch food is so much fun, and everyone loves it, making planning soooo much easier. I’m going with an English Garden Party theme! (Remember what I said earlier about how events are easier to plan if you have a theme?) Think loads of flowers 🌸🌹🌼🌺🌻🌷 and beautiful linens! THESE are the invitations I selected! I ordered them from Minted. They offer FREE addressing, which was so helpful.
On the invitation, I specified “Garden Party Chic” for the attire! Since I knew that would make everyone crazy and I would get a million questions from family and friends 🤣, I further specified: “Elegant Sundresses for Ladies” and “Slacks and Button Downs for Gentlemen.”
Even though I’m using an English Garden Party theme, I didn’t want to wear a floral for fear of clashing with all of the actual flowers! 😂 Also, I believe that as the hostess, I need to be the best-dressed person there (except for the bride, of course)! THIS is the elegant dress I chose. I’ll be pairing it with THESE block-heeled sandals. (They’re by Naturalizer, so they’re shockingly comfortable — which was important to me since I’ll probably be on my feet a lot during the event.
I kept my jewelry simple with silver CZ stud earrings. and this Apple Watch band.
Our 26-year-old daughter, Becca, was home last week, and we found her Rehearsal Brunch dress too! It’s a blue and white floral Eliza J. dress with flutter sleeves and sweet eyelet. It was a great buy because of its versatility! She’ll pair it with THESE classic block-heel sandals for the brunch, but it will be super cute with flat sandals or THESE sneakers (which she owns and loves) later this summer.
The Wedding
Without sharing too many details, I will tell you that the daytime wedding and reception are at a breathtaking outdoor venue. In order to coordinate with the bridesmaids and the bride’s beautiful mama, I’ll be wearing a long dress, hemmed just high enough so my shoes will show. I tried on nearly 40 dresses! (To see some of the dresses I considered, check out THIS post.) Here’s what was important to me:
- Honor the Mother of the Bride! Her dress is spectacular, and she is the most important mama at the wedding!
- Comfort – The event will be beautifully, blissfully relaxed, and extend over several hours, so I’ll be in my dress for quite a while!
- Flattering – Obviously, I want to feel pretty!
- Easy-to-Wear – I don’t want to wear shapewear underneath my dress or feel like I have to hold my tummy in! 🤣 (Plus, we’ll be dancing 💃, so there’s that.)
Although I tried on dresses from Sachin & Babi to Marchesa, I finally settled on a Mac Duggal Halter neck sleeveless A-line blush gown.
I made my decision on what shoes I am wearing and absolutely love them! 😍 I am going to hem the dress short enough so that these fabulous shoes will show.
Becca is singing at the wedding, so she needed a really special dress as well! THIS Kate Spade floral brocade dress looks amazing on her, and we selected THESE strappy sandals, which will complement it perfectly!
There you have it! I can’t wait to hear what you think of my choices! Are you shopping for any wedding event outfits or dresses for any special occasions right now? If so, let me know in the comments. I’ve certainly gotten around, and I might have a tip or two for you! Not sure where to start? You might find my post Cocktail Dresses for Women Over 50 + Best Style for Your Body Type helpful.
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Wow! Thank you for sharing. The dresses for you and your daughter are all perfect and beautiful. Also enjoyed hearing all the details of the celebrations. Brought back good memories of our son and lovely daughter-in-law’s wedding. ENJOY EVERY MINUTE! Memories to be treasured!
Helen,
What a kind thing to say! Thank you so much! We’re really enjoying every moment!
I so appreciate your comment.
xoxo
Suzy
Suzy, so excited for you and your family on this special upcoming wedding! Love all the dresses! You will look stunning! Enjoy every minute!!
Carol,
You are the sweetest! Thank you so much, my friend! I’m excited – mostly because Connor is marrying such a precious girl from a family we adore!
You’re so kind to share in our joy and rejoice alongside us!
xoxo
Suzy
All the dresses are gorgeous! Thank you for sharing all these brands too. I usually stick with my tried and true so it’s nice to have these new ideas. I’m so excited for your family with all of these fabulous events. What a special time. Thanks for sharing with us!
Kellie,
It’s my pleasure and joy! Thanks for being interested! 🤣 I’m so happy you like the post and it gave you some new ideas, Kellie!
xoxo
Suzy
Beautiful dresses for you and your daughter! And wonderful hints for the “Mother-of” dresses! I was the Mother of the Groom & Bride last year (my DIL’s mom is deceased so she asked me to step into the MOB role for all the planning and events – I was very blessed) and I will be the Mother of the Bride next year so your ideas and suggestions are very timely for me. Best wishes to your son and his bride and to you, Bob and Becca!
Helen,
My goodness, you are a PRO! I should’ve asked you to write this post! 😂 I’ll bet you have some amazing tips and tricks – we’d all welcome any you’d like to share!
Thanks for your sweet comment!
xoxo
Suzy
Good choices! I love your MOG dress for the wedding. I have been a MOB and MOG. I loved both of my dresses but I think I loved the dress for my son’s wedding maybe a little more. It was right after Christmas in 2019 at a kind of an indoor/outdoor venue. I wore a navy blue long-sleeved ball gown (lace on top and taffeta on the bottom). It even had pockets!
Kim,
I almost picked a ball gown too! (After all, how many times in our lives do we really get to wear a ball gown?!) Mine was also navy blue! My daughter thought it was too dark for an outdoor summer wedding (even though it was sleeveless), so that’s how I ended up with this one!
Pockets! That’s the greatest!!!
Thanks so much for your comment!
xoxo
Suzy
Beautiful dress. I am shopping for MOB dress for late summer, so very helpful. Your dress is gorgeous but what kind of bra will you wear with the dress?
Mary,
Strapless, for sure! Or, if you’re me, strapless with little silicone pads in it to give me a little something! 🤣 The lace dress for the Rehearsal Brunch needs the strapless bra too, and the alterations lady is adding cups inside the dress for a tiny bit more filling!
We all have our body issues, and mine is a very small bust! I hope that helps.
xoxo
Suzy
Hi Suzy,
SO HAPPY FOR YOUR FAMILY!
Thanks for all the great recommendations. Ordered the earrings you suggested.
Blessings to you and ENB!!!
Xoxo
Tracey,
Love you, my darling friend! I love it when I meet someone in your BSF Class – we always pause and have a little Tracey fan club meeting!
You will love the earrings!
Thank you for reading and commenting!
xoxo
Suzy
Hey Suzy! Thanks for the informative and detailed post! Your choices are lovely for each of these events! Not wedding related at all, but you inspired me to check out the Lily city dresses, and there is a Philly one, which is my home town and where our extended families still live. I purchased it to wear when we go on summer visits, and to start conversations here in the South! 🙂
Looking forward to hearing more about each of the wedding events as they come. Your son and his fiance make a lovely couple, and I’m sure they appreciate the showering of love on them from both families! I’ve never been the MOG, but have been a MOB 3 times now! Whew!! Enjoy every minute!!
Betsie,
You are a professional MOB, and you should probably write a book to teach us all how to do it! What a woman!!! 🙌
I’m so excited you liked the Philly dress! I love it that the brand did that – there are so many wonderful cities and states in our country worth celebrating! Hugs to you.
xoxo,
Suzy
It’s always so much fun to read your posts and hear the details of your life. I love thé dress you picked out for the garden party brunch. What a great theme for a party! I may have to borrow it one day. Thanks for all your hard work shopping. I’ve taken many of your suggestions for gifts for myself (!) and others other the years.
Laura,
Your comment meant so much to me! Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts and thanks with me. (Can you tell that my love language is words of encouragement? 😂)
Steal away! Theme parties are the best parties and, for sure, the easiest to throw. Much of my Texas decor was borrowed from my sweet friend (and extremely gifted hostess), Pam. I threw a Cinco de Mayo party a few years ago and just loaned all of my pinatas and decor to a friend for a Taco Party she hosted. It’s a blessing to share!
Thanks so much for your comment!
xoxo
Suzy
Congratulations to the beautiful and handsome couple. What an exciting time for all of you. Love all of your dress and accessory choices and your themed celebrations. How fun!! Thank you for sharing so many wonderful ideas, and I love the idea of a rehearsal brunch. Genius!! Many blessings to all of you.
Allison,
Thanks so much for your sweet encouragement! You are so kind!
It’s so funny – every time I tell people about the Rehearsal Brunch idea, they say the same thing you said! It is ideal when there’s a daytime wedding the next day! It was actually Abby’s mom’s idea. (She’s a genius, and I’m a huge fan!)
I’m so grateful for your comment! Thank you for taking the time to leave it. That means a lot to me!
xoxo
Suzy
Congratulations!! I love your MOG dress!
I recently went to an outdoor BBQ couples shower – and realized white jeans/cute top and sparkly sandals have mostly given way sundresses and nude platform sandals or slight heel. You’ve shown some cute ones! Thank you!
Debby,
Say yes to the dress, sweet Debby! I love the girly statement and am ALL about embracing femininity right now!!! I’ve shared lots of affordable dresses this season, and I’ve got a bunch in my Amazon shop, too (https://amzn.to/3WMftFQ).
Good luck and thanks so much for your kind words!
xoxo
Suzy
I’ve looked forward to reading all of your posts related to the upcoming wedding, and have been waiting with bated breath for this one about your dresses. Everything looks absolutely gorgeous. Our daughter got engaged in March, so we’re still at the earliest stages with her planner hired and reception venue recently booked. I’ll be sure to bookmark this post when it’s time to begin shopping for the dresses I’ll need for various events. Wishing you smooth sailing and wonderful memories as you celebrate the happy couple!
Carrie,
Ohhhh, you have so much excitement coming, my friend! I’m so happy for you and your family! Thank you for your kind words! Being the MOB is a lot more responsibility than being the MOG, so my advice is to start early on everything – including your dresses!
This is such a precious, once-in-a-lifetime event, and I know you’re going to enjoy every moment of planning with her! I hope I gave you some good ideas about where to shop! Congratulations, mama!
xoxo
Suzy