Guest list – check, invitations - check, flowers - check, food - check, Mother of the Bride dresses… Whew! Unless your daughter has hired a wedding planner, you have plenty to do. In fact even if your daughter has hired a wedding planner you have plenty to do.

It’s motherhood as usual – master any role that becomes necessary!

I am here to help make the job of selecting your Mother of the Bride outfits easier for you by offering a few simple hints and tips.

As Mother of the Bride and in the absence of said wedding planner, you must make sure everything not only gets organised, but also co-ordinates well together. This includes liaising with the Mother of the Groom to ensure that her dress compliments the wedding party.

You may or may not already be acquainted with your daughter’s soon to be Mother-in-Law and depending on this factor and of course taking into account any geographical situations it could be a great bonding experience if both of the Mothers went shopping together for their Mother of the Bride dresses and Mother of the Groom dresses.

If this is entirely out of the question due to whatever reason, be sure to let the Mother of the Groom know early what color parameters she must adhere to. If possible send her a swatch of fabric from the Bridesmaids dresses.

Many a Bride has been shocked at the last to find that her Mother-in-Law has decided on a white outfit for the wedding, which is totally absurd, but does happen, so step in early and take care of making sure both the Mother of the Bride and Groom dresses will be appropriate and look good in the resulting photos.

For formal weddings it is customary for the Mother of the Bride dresses to be floor length and also that both Mother’s dresses be the same length. Make sure that the Mother of the Groom knows what is to be expected here.

For this type of dress it is usually advisable to purchase it from a store that specialises in wedding outfits, because they will have an elegant, fully lined selection of Mother of the Bride dresses in luxurious fabrics appropriate for the occasion. However, this is only a suggestion as you may find more cost effective options in your favourite high street store or large chain like M&S in the United Kingdom, or JC Penney and Macy’s in the USA.