What Color Should the Mother of the Bride Wear | SleekTrends (2024)

There’s a wide variety of mother of the bride dresses to choose from. Whether you make your decision based on style, color, or design, you should always find something that works with the event theme, your skin tone, or season. Why settle for basic colors like Beige and Navy, when you can find dresses that would make you stand out on your special day.

There are so many countless options, choose something that expresses your personality? In fact, why not choose an outfit that makes you stand out among the wedding guests? You are the mother of the bride, after all.

Read on if you’re ready to look elegant and classy at your daughter's wedding. We’ve mentioned some important tips for choosing the right color for your special occasion.

Mother of the Bride Dresses According to Season

While it’s important to have a preference when choosing a color, the time of the year greatly impacts your decision. Even if you think that you look great in just about every color, choosing the right color hue according to the season helps you stay on-theme. Every season has its own color family. That means you have a variety of mother-of-the-bride dresses to choose from.

Sure, it’s easy to say that you should choose a color based on the season, but shades can overlap between seasons. To help you out, we’ve mentioned some colors you can wear in particular seasons. So, let's dig in.

Winter

Let’s say your daughter is having a winter wedding. In that case, a short co*cktail dress with a bright yellow color is a big no. Not only because it does not provide the coverage you need but also because bright yellow is not suitable for a winter wedding.

Instead, a darker color and a longer length outfit is a perfect option for Winter mother wedding dresses. The mother of the bride can choose between a 3/4 or full sleeve Dress or a jacket dress or pantsuit to keep warm. As for the fabric, heavier fabrics like taffeta, lace, and knit are perfect for that perfect winter wedding.

For wedding color themes utilizing reds, pinks or corals, colors like burgundy, Navy, merlot, wine, berry red, mauve, Dusty blue, are great options.

What Color Should the Mother of the Bride Wear | SleekTrends (1)

For Blue and Green themes, go with Navy, Gray, Silver, Royal blue, cobalt blue, dusty blue, teal, emerald pine, gold, peaco*ck and other dark tones are ideal for a mother of the bride dress at a winter wedding.

For Purple wedding theme colors, you would want to stay with plum, magenta, eggplant, champagne, periwinkle, mauve, berry, rose gold

If the bridal party is tending towards neutral theme, you can choose from a larger variety of stunning metallic colors like rose gold,champagne, gold, silver, pewter or earthy natural colors like Slate green, taupe, mocha, mink, dusty rose. They look gorgeous on most skin tones and work best for semi-formal and formal winter weddings.

Spring

Spring is the time of year when the weather is just right - not too cold or too hot. If your daughter is planning a wedding in spring, you can pick from an impressive range of color options. That’s because it’s one season when the colors overlap with those of other seasons. As for designs, one option is to wear a short-sleeved or sleeveless outfit. Mother of the bride dresses tea length is also ideal for spring. And if you tend to get chilly in the air conditioning or the wedding is at night, you can pair it with a bolero, light jacket, or shawl.

As for colors, the most trendy and stylish colors for spring are cooler colors and pastel tones.

What Color Should the Mother of the Bride Wear | SleekTrends (2)

For reds, pinks or corals color theme, go with dusty rose, blush, sky blue, azure blue, ice blue, Fuchsia, silver, peach

For the blues and greens You can wear , gray, natural green, royal, sage green, dusty blue, navy , turquoise to lovely daughter's wedding.

For Purple wedding color theme, explore navy, lavender, lilac, blush, gray, champagne, periwinkle, mauve, berry, rose gold.

For a more bolder style statement, opt for a dress with delicate floral prints if you want a full-flash spring look. These option looks appealing playful and spot on.

Summer

If your daughter is planning a summer wedding, you can expect to feel a little sweaty. Ideally, you’ll want a dress that allows plenty of airflow. But besides lightweight fabrics, dresses should be soft light and airy.

Some of the best summer colors for red, pinks and coral themes are Sangria, Fuchsia, coral pink, peach, merlot include khaki And as for fabric, mother of the bride dresses made from tulle, chiffon, satin, and organza are perfect for summer.

What Color Should the Mother of the Bride Wear | SleekTrends (3)

For wedding theme utilizing blues and greens in the summer, you would want to explore , turquoise, Sky blue , seafoam, Aqua, Navy, gold, silver, royal, slate gray, cornflower blue, yellow

For bolder Orange and yellow themes, the mother of the bride should go for gray, rust, mid tone browns, fig, gold, coral, blush, mink, slate green

For purple tones, the same colors for spring will work beautifully, navy, lavender, lilac, blush, gray, champagne, periwinkle, mauve, berry, rose gold.

Fall

Fall weddings is usually very comfortable, not hot not cold. Perfect temperature. You can wear a knee-length dress or long dress, half-sleeved or sleeveless dress, or a jumpsuit. Mother of the bride dresses tea length is also a good option for fall weddings. Also, choose mid-weight fabrics that help create a more structured look.

What Color Should the Mother of the Bride Wear | SleekTrends (4)

Falls comes naturally with gorgeous colors that complements each other so easily. If you are attending a fall wedding with a reds, blue, purple, green orange, yellow theme, you can choose your dress color from stone, mocha, burgundy, eggplant, rust, evergreen,merlot, mustard, gold, autumm, hunter green, fig,mango, plum, burnt orange. These are all appropriate color options for the mother of the bride for a fall wedding. Some of the best colors for 2022 include burning red, jewel-tone teal, and royal purple.

Colors Best for All Seasons

Some colors go well for mother of the bride dresses in all seasons. The most common ones include burgundy, navy, egplant while earthy green is a more neutral choice. Besides that, you can also wear mettalic colors, they are perfect all through the year. Colors like pewter, champagne and silver

If you want to get a dress that you can wear more often, pick a color that’s perfect for all seasons.

Should Mother of the Bride and Groom Match?

Well, it totally depends on you and the mother of the groom. If the couple would like their mothers to wear complementary outfits, both mothers have to sit down together and think about what shade works best for both. We advise that you discuss outfit ideas together and go shopping together, so you don't choose different colors.

Of course, the bride and groom can offer suggestions for styles, colors, and levels of formality to help their moms choose the perfect outfits.

However, it’s not compulsory that the mothers of the bride and groom wear complementary colors at the wedding. They can choose completely different colors and styles yet look like proud moms at their children’s wedding.

Does Mother of the Bride and Bridesmaid Need to have the Same Colors?

Again, it’s not compulsory. The mother of the bride doesn’t need to match with the bridesmaids. Many brides prefer that the women they adore wear complementing colors for a cohesive look, but some mothers want to stand out. Hence, it highly depends on what you prefer. Surely, you may have some ideas for your daughter’s wedding and want to fulfill them instead of wearing a dress with the same color or style as the bridesmaids.

Also, if mothers don't want to wear the same colors as the bridesmaid, they can opt for colors that have a similar feel and appeal to the bridesmaid. For instance, if bridesmaids are wearing lighter tones, choose a color in the same category.

Tips to Keep in Mind While Choosing a Color

There are a few things that you need to keep in mind to avoid clashing with what other people are wearing at the wedding. Here are a few options for mother wedding dresses.

Don't be too Bold

You need to avoid wearing bold or flashy colors that take the attention away from your daughter on her big day. Attention-grabbing colors include vivid yellow, blood red, and vibrant orange. Don’t worry: avoiding these colors will not limit your options, because there are several other color tones you can choose from. Also, if you choose mother of the bride dresses with jacket, make sure that the colors of your jacket and dress don’t give off a bold look.

Choose Color Based on Your Skin Tone

While you have infinite color options, you need to choose a hue that complements your skin tone. People with warmer skin tones can wear warmer colors like yellow, gold, amber, orange, coral, peach, and red. Warmer shades of cooler colors also work best for you, such as moss, olive, and violet red. People with cool skin tones can opt for emeralds, deep purples, and bright blues. Some frosty shades of pink, ice blue, and lavender also do the trick for you. While choosing mother of the bride dresses with jacket or jewelry, make sure to think whether your accessories and jacket color complements your skin tone. This will help create a cohesive look.

Consider Color Theme of the Wedding

If your daughter has decided on a color theme for the wedding, you should choose try as much as possible to wear a color that will work well with the theme. This is really important, so everyone can look well coordinated and great for photos. Also, the type of wedding your daughter is planning will also influence your decision. To make the right decision, discuss different options with your daughter. She can help you choose the right outfit based on the wedding theme.

Avoid Matching with the Bride

Many brides and mothers get emotional and end up wearing the same colors on this big day. Remember that mother of the bride should not wear the same color or even shade of the bride's wedding dress. The bride’s gown is usually in shades like ivory or champagne, so make sure that you don’t choose any shade of white. If you want to wear neutral colors, go for off-white, beige, taupe, and grey, as they are a different shade from a traditional bridal gown. Moreover, don’t choose the same dress design, either. For instance, if the bride is wearing toe-length clothes, mother of the bride dresses with tea length or dresses with knee-length are best for you.

Bottom Line

So, now you know how to choose colors for mother of the bride dresses. If you’re wondering where you can find gorgeous outfits in variety of wedding colors, check out SleekTrends to pick an ideal dress for your daughter’s wedding.

What Color Should the Mother of the Bride Wear | SleekTrends (2024)

FAQs

What color is the bride's mother supposed to wear? ›

The bride's color theme of pastel pinks and purples is feminine and playful. Her mother can complement the color scheme by wearing deeper and earthier shades in the same color family, such as blush, Mauve, Merlot, Burgundy, Sangria, Wine or go for colors that will complement like gold, silver and charcoal.

What should a mother wear to her daughter's wedding? ›

These days, virtually anything goes—formal gown, short or long dress, skirt-and-jacket ensemble—so long as it matches the style of the wedding. Brides can be very helpful by encouraging "the moms" to work together in choosing their outfits.

Is the mother of the bride dress supposed to be the same color as the bridesmaids? ›

A: The Mother of the Bride is special. She needs to stand out a bit from the bridesmaids, so her dress should complement rather than match the bridesmaid's dresses. For example, the MOB could wear a dress in a similar color to the bridesmaids but in a deeper shade.

Does it matter what the mother of the bride wears? ›

It's fine if she wants to wear something that doesn't match the bridesmaids' outfits or the wedding color palette. Most brides don't have a preference when it comes to what their mothers wear, so they're free to make their own decision.

What is the most popular color for the mother of the bride? ›

Typically the Mother of the Bride's dress should complement the bridal party's color palette. Not necessarily match with the bridesmaids, but choose a color in the color family. The most popular color for the mother of the bride to wear is navy or a royal blue, followed by blush or a shade of nude.

What the mother of the bride should not wear? ›

A basic rule of wedding etiquette is that the mother of the bride should not outshine her daughter. So, don't choose gowns or dresses that would overpower the bridal gown.

How to look classy as mother of the bride? ›

While dressing in too revealing a style isn't advisable for any guest, you can dress to emphasise your assets - a sleeveless dress to show toned arms, belts to highlight your waist or a shorter length for great legs. Keep styling simple and avoid too much embellishment, which can look fussy in photos.

What is the trend for mother of the bride dresses? ›

Statement Florals

A mother of the bride or groom can never go wrong with a floral dress, and, this year, the bolder the florals the better. “For 2024, I anticipate a trend towards bold and large floral prints for mothers,” says bridal stylist Erika Plackowski.

What is the dress code for the mother of the bride? ›

While almost anything goes for mother-of-the-bride attire—so long as the bride approves—it is important to follow certain cues dictated by the venue. For example, it's probably best to wear a strapless dress to a beach ceremony rather than a church wedding.

What jewelry should the mother of the bride wear? ›

A cohesive jewelry set for the mother of the bride often includes a necklace, earrings, and sometimes a bracelet, tailored to the formality of the wedding and her personal style. Classic designs in metals that match her outfit will create a refined look.

Can the mother of the bride and mother of the groom wear the same color? ›

Because the mother of the groom isn't part of the bridal party, she should avoid choosing a dress in the same color as the bridesmaids' attire, the mother of the bride's dress, or the wedding gown.

What is the role of the mother of the bride? ›

The mother of the bride plays the role of hostess, meaning you should spend some time greeting guests during the reception. Although there are exceptions, other wedding-day duties may include sitting at the parents' table and dancing with the father of the bride to help warm up the dance floor.

What color should a bride's mother wear? ›

Try mid-tone browns, neutrals, and metallics such as taupe, champagne, or gold. These palettes can feel either tropical or autumnal. Either way, Mum can carry the warmth of the colours through to her look. Try lighter shades for warm temperatures and darker tones for cool weather.

Should mother of the bride wear hair up or down? ›

Updos are a mother-of-the-bride hairstyle favorite for a reason: they're timeless, they frame your face and they work with a wide variety of dress styles. Whether it's a beautiful braided bun, an elegant chignon or an updo with a few wispy tendrils, you really can't go wrong.

How not to look matronly as mother of the bride? ›

What we recommend you wearing for a daytime wedding, is a swing or tea dress. As we mentioned earlier, this style of dress is one sure to stand the test of time, while ensuring you look quite the opposite of matronly.

Should the mother of the groom wear a different color than the mother of the bride? ›

Because the mother of the groom isn't part of the bridal party, she should avoid choosing a dress in the same color as the bridesmaids' attire, the mother of the bride's dress, or the wedding gown.

What color dress should a mother of the groom wear? ›

The Best Colors for Mothers of the Groom to Consider

In general, jewel tones and earthy hues, like emerald green and burgundy, work well, in addition to universally flattering colors like black and navy. Valiente also adds, "Wear a flattering color that compliments the color palette of the wedding."

Is it okay for the mother of the bride to wear red? ›

Answer: Typically the mother of the bride's outfit is whatever fits her style. In terms of color, traditionally, attendants and the MOB would avoid white (upstaging the bride), black (it reminds people of mourning) and red (because it's flashy).

Should the mother of the bride wear pink? ›

Can mothers of the bride wear pink dresses? Yes! Blush pink mother of the bride dresses are a beautiful option for moms who aren't in favor of dark and subdued colors for their daughter's wedding day.

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