The short answer is something that compliments not only the bridal dress but also the bridesmaids.

Nowadays, as there are so many different colour tones available in wedding dresses, we always advise that brides need to choose their dress first, followed by something fabulous for you! This ensures that whatever dress you choose as the mother of the bride will work with what dress she is wearing.

For example, if the bride has a bright ivory dress, you may not want to turn up wearing cream as standing together, her dress may make yours appear yellow. Or, if your daughter’s dress has a hint of nude, then peach tones can work against her dress’s base tone and change how both of your dresses look in photos.

If possible, you also want to ensure that whatever outfit you wear works well with the bridesmaid colour and the suits, as you don’t want any colour clashes…trust us, your photographer will thank us!

We once heard that there are a few colours that wedding guests, shouldn’t wear, but particularly VIP guests such as mothers of the bride.

The colours included red, bright lemon or lime and bright purple…

This was a guideline given by a photographer friend as they said that the colours really draw attention in a room full of people and can stand out almost too much.

I suppose it does kind of make sense although we’ve seen some fabulous weddings where lots of guests wear bright colours, so I guess it depends on the styling and colour palette of your wedding.

It is becoming increasingly common for couples to create a ‘colour palette’ that they encourage guests to wear on the day. At first, this wasn’t very well received; however, once couples see the outcome of the photos, it’s clear that asking guests to wear complimentary colours really can look amazing!

We don’t suggest being too specific and making it hard for your loved ones, but maybe create a mood board of the colours chosen for your day to help guests wear a colour that will work well with the wedding you have envisioned.

Can the Mother of the Bride Wear White?

The age-old question…

The short answer, believe it or not, is yes. However, this definitely comes with, let’s say, ‘terms and conditions’… Technically, the rules are that no one should wear white to a wedding, but there are exceptions.

If the bride asks her mother to wear white, then it is absolutely acceptable, but it has to be a choice made by the bride herself. Some couples opt for monochrome colour schemes and even allow guests to wear white if that goes with the theme, so I suppose in 2025, there are no set rules, and we, for one, are here for it!

Our best piece of advice is to speak to the bride and get her thoughts and feelings on any colour you are thinking of before deciding. That isn’t to say that you should just wear whatever you are told, the mother of the bride is such a huge part of a wedding, they need to look and feel amazing too!

That also does mean that with you being such a big part of the day you are also in lots of pictures so it only makes sense to ensure the colour you choose compliments the colour scheme of the day…After all those pictures really do last a lifetime!

Written with love by Ella – Head Bridal Stylist