What not to wear. Mother of the bride edition.

This question was just posed to me the other day by a friend. She asked if it was ok if her fiance's mom wore a cream colored lace dress to the wedding. The bride was wearing a cream colored lace dress. Ummmm. . .that was an easy question - NO, IT'S NOT OK!

I'm going to make this short and sweet and I hope my moms out there aren't offended, but this is how it goes: If you match the bride, the bride will likely be upset. You have to admit that's understandable. And your guests will notice too, and think it's in poor taste. Here are my tips for picking the perfect outfit for the wedding:

1. Pick a color.

Preferably pick a color that doesn't completely clash with the color scheme of the wedding. And definitely NOT an attention grabbing color like red. If you're going to wear black, please add a pop of color (like an statement jewelry piece) so you don't appear to be attending a funeral. Jewel tones are current, and a safe bet! But if you MUST go with an off white or cream color, please make it in a completely different style from the bride. (See image below). If the bride is going with a long white tulle skirt on her dress, you can get away with a short length lacy dress in champagne. . . but that's about as close as I would call "safe" (see #2)!

2. Don't match the bride.

It doesn't matter if you're fully paying for the wedding. It is still your daughter's/son's wedding, and you're not the guest of honor. Yes, you'll know more people on the guest list than the bride likely will, but it's still "her" day. So please don't compete for attention by wearing a dress that matches the bride. You can have your say in how the money is spent for the wedding, but let her shine on her day in a dress that stands out.

3. Pick a dress that makes YOU feel great!

After all the planning that goes into the wedding, you deserve to kick up your heels and dance the night away too, so please pick a style you can move in. You can be absolutely stunning in a dress that doesn't resemble anything bridal, while still showing off your fabulous personal flair!

Here are some great examples of stunning dresses, perfect for a mother of the bride. We love the ruffled collars, stylish jackets, color options, and flattering fits!