If your son is due to get married soon, big congratulations are in order. It’s an exciting time all they way round, but you may not be sure of what you should wear on the big day. There are lots of rules and traditions dictating what a suitable mother of the groom outfit should be, so here are some tips to help you pick the perfect color for your outfit.
What about white or black?
The main no-go that I think should still stand today is to look for white mother of the groom dresses. The bride may be particularly liberal and relaxed about what you wear but even so, leave the whites and creams for the bride. It’s her day and it’s always going to be a bad look for you if you try to steal center stage. There are plenty of other gorgeous shades to choose for your outfit so there’s really no reason not to give whites and creams a wide berth.
When it comes to wearing black, it’s traditionally seen as a color of mourning and potentially inappropriate for a wedding. You may cause a few eyebrows to be raised if you choose it for your mother of the groom dress. On the other hand, black is becoming a fairly popular choice as an accent color at weddings. If this is the case at your son’s wedding or if the wedding is a formal, evening affair then you’re probably pretty safe choosing something in black. Black can be flattering and classy, but do check it out with the groom and bride beforehand if you’re not sure how well it’ll go down.
Do you need to match the mother of the bride?
If you’re sticking to tradition, then you’re meant to let the bride’s mother choose her own dress first and take your cue for color and style from her, picking something to complement the mother of the bride dresses. Today you aren’t necessarily expected to be so strict about complementing the mother of the bride apparel, though there are sound principles behind it.
The bride and groom will have given a lot of thought to the formality and style of wedding they want and their own outfits as well as those of their wedding party – from bridesmaids to baby flower girl dresses – will reflect that style. It does make for a visually cohesive wedding if you choose your mother of the groom dress in a color palette that will generally complement rather than clash with everyone else’s outfits and with the wedding theme. A little common sense goes a long way too – at a very formal evening wedding, you’ll really stick out if you wear a casual pastel frock. Similarly, at a laid back beach wedding with a pastel color theme, you’ll probably look a little odd (and feel uncomfortable!) in a red velvet gown.
So if you’re a bit stuck on what color would be appropriate for your mother of the groom outfit, most modern couples won’t expect you to stick rigidly to tradition but it does make sense to check on the chosen color scheme and pick a complementary color and style for your dress. You’re still sure to find a suitable color to wear that makes you feel fantastic, just avoid whites and don’t aim to be center of attention!