Gorgeous Mother of the Bride Dresses from Real Weddings

Looking at Mother of the Bride dresses in stores is a whole lot different than seeing them on real women. If you are searching for the perfect dress to wear on your daughter’s (or son’s) big day, then have a look at these gorgeous Mother of the Bride (and Groom) dresses from real weddings sent in by my readers.

Lace is timeless and always looks lovely on the Mother of the Bride or Groom. Jenny Lynn, 55, thought so too when she wore this beautiful, sleeveless, blue-gray lace dress to her daughter Morgan’s wedding in July. She says this pretty gown was the perfect choice – elegant, comfy, as well as nice and cool on a sweltering day.

For her daughter’s wedding, Diane went with a popular Mother of Bride dress color: navy. This sophisticated and stylish color is flattering on women with mature skin because it is softer and warmer than black. This off-the-shoulder mermaid gown is rich and regal. I love the way the deep ruched V-neck shows off Diane’s beautiful shoulders. And that waist pin is stunning!

Diane, 54, enlisted her daughter’s help when choosing her MOB dress. She found three dresses that she liked and ordered all of them but eventually decided on this heavenly jade floral beaded A-line dress. ( Similar here) (plus size here) It had the perfect vibe for her daughter Megan’s June wedding at a Botanic garden in Illinois.

The color is exquisite on Diane, and that beading is so glam! Oh, and if you were wondering, the bridesmaids wore a pale pink, and the MOG wore a beautiful dark purple gown with a beaded top which coordinated beautifully with Diane’s jade dress.

When LeAnn’s son Pete was married in October, she was looking for a dress appropriate for an outdoor wedding and an indoor reception. She felt beautiful in this long floral gown (here also) which matched the rustic setting of the ceremony.  It was comfortable and complemented the wedding colors, yet Leann says she didn’t feel like she was upstaging anyone.

This is LeAnn’s son’s beautiful bride with her equally stunning Mother, who wore a short light pink, lacy dress. I love the sweetheart neckline and the delicate sheer fabric that goes with it. It’s so romantic. What a stunning mother-daughter duo!

Terresa had the honor of walking her daughter Shelby down the aisle at her May wedding in Colorado. Initially, she considered wearing a classic black MOB dress, but her daughter wanted her to wear a brighter color that coordinated with the wedding palette. She ended up choosing this glittery cold shoulder lace mermaid dress.

Terresa says she struggled to decide whether to wear a necklace or not, but all her friends and family voted no..so she went with just dangle earrings. I think she made the perfect choice because of a dress like this. You don’t want anything to detract from the elegant off-the-shoulder neckline. Don’t you love this merlot color on Terresa? I adore how it perfectly coordinates with Shelby’s bouquet.

What do you wear to a December wedding when you are the Mother of the Bride? When LeAnn’s daughter Jamie was married in Nashville, LeAnn chose this shimmery, lead-colored, beaded mesh gown from Adriana Papell.

LeAnn, 57, says finding a color that matched the smokey gray bridesmaid’s dresses was a priority. She wanted something comfortable that she wouldn’t have to tug at or adjust all night. This dress worked out beautifully and was so festive for a holiday time wedding.

If you are lucky enough to find a fabulous Mother of the Bride dress on sale, grab it! Gina was looking for a dress to wear to her daughter Jordana’s wedding in Toronto in September when she happened to see this gorgeous Marlene Olivier dress on sale at Neiman Marcus. This French designer dress was way more than she could have afforded at the regular price, but she got in on sale for a steal!

Gina knew it was the ONE because she loved the color and the clean, simple, elegant lines. The dress is classy and sexy, with a V-shaped opening in the back. Gina says, “It felt like ME as soon as I put it on.” What a classy choice!

Susan had an extensive checklist in her search for the perfect Mother of the Bride dress. Firstly, she wanted a blue dress to match her eyes and coloring, and preferred that it was simple, elegant, had clean lines, and was not your “typical” Mother of the bride dress. She also wanted a dress that flattered her figure and showed some skin (but not too much). It had to be classy with a bit of interest but not over the top.

After a lot of searching and chatting with family, Susan chose this exquisite sleeveless navy dress with a gemstone neckline for her daughter’s April wedding in Atlanta, Georgia.

Here’s Susan again with her lovely daughter Megan. Susan’s dress coordinated well with the bridesmaids’ dresses which were in light pink. The Mother of the groom wore an elegant black dress with an intricate lace bodice. The wedding reception was held at an upscale hotel.

A short MOB dress can look just as lovely as a long one as you see here. When Traci’s daughter Elizabeth was married, Traci wore a below-the-knee lace dress in navy with a matching jacket. Many MOBs love this style, and Traci did too because it was so comfortable and chic (Not to mention, you can easily wear this again somewhere else).

Finding the perfect dress made her feel fabulous as her two sons escorted her down the aisle. Traci was a proud and beautiful mother on Elizabeth’s wedding day.

Let’s Not Forget The Mother of the Groom

Traditionally, the Mother of the bride purchases her dress first, and the Mother of the Groom takes a subtle hint from the Mother of the bride’s dress. These mothers of the grooms look equally as lovely as the mothers of the brides. After all, it’s their big day too.

Top left, Traci wears an embellished navy dress for her son’s wedding day.

Top right, at the bride’s request, Karen wore a light gold dress for her son’s wedding. The twist detail and off-the-shoulder cut add a lot of visual interest to a simple yet elegant dress.

Bottom right, Nikki wore a custom-made Mother of the Groom dress for her son’s wedding. Delicate sheer sleeves elevate an already feminine dress even more.

Bottom left, Wendy’s dress is such a gorgeous shade of purple that it complements her skin tone and hair color perfectly. The cutout detail is an artful way to show some skin without bearing it all.

When You are the Mother of the Bride and Groom!

Andrea has a daughter and son, so she has enjoyed being both the Mother of the Bride and Groom.

As Mother of the bride at her daughter Hannah’s wedding, she ordered this stunning black dress through a local boutique and had made it to her size. She says she loved it straight away but felt that at first,  it was maybe too over the top because of the Swarovski crystal details. But after two months of looking she decided that it was the dress. She couldn’t have been happier. Andrea said it made her feel so elegant. 

As Mother of the Groom at Andrea’s son Nathanael’s wedding in Australia, Andrea wore a blue Paper Dolls London dress from Asos. The four bridesmaids and the flower girl all wore long dresses of tulle and rose gold sequins. The bride’s mother wore a Navy high low off-the-shoulder dress.

Andrea says that as Mother of the Groom, she was looking for a flattering style but did not want to stand out too much, as she wished the Mother of the Bride to shine on her daughter’s day.  In the end, Lauren says both MOB and MOG looked beautiful together, “as if we’d planned it! ”

Please Share!

I hope this post has given all of you soon-to-be Mothers of the Bride and Groom some inspiration. Thanks to all my gorgeous readers for sharing their beautiful photos. If you have a MOB, MOG, or any other wedding party shot of yourself to share, please email me at info@fabulousafter40.com  ( NOTE: I can only post good quality, no blur, good lighting photos). Plus size. Check out: Plus size mother of the bride dresses to look more elegant.

Need More Ideas?

Do you need more ideas about what to wear as Mother of the Bride or Groom? Pick up a copy of my bestselling book Tweak Your Chic – Mother of the Bride. It will tell you everything you need to know on one of the most important and cherished days of your life.