Are you looking for a mother-of-the-bride dress, and wish you could browse the best and most elegant dresses from several stores at once? That's what this site is for!
The shopping sources in this shopping guide use affiliate links. This site may earn a commission if you make a purchase from our links.
Image credits and shopping sources: 1. Jenna Gown by Sachin + Babi 2. Teri Jon 3. Adrianna Papell
The perfect mother of the bride dress will strike the balance of being timeless, classic, sophisticated, and modern so that you look your best on that special day. This shopping guide will help you find the best dresses for mothers of the bride and mothers of the groom.
Elegant Mother of the Bride Dresses and Outfits
You won't find any frumpy mother-of-the-bride dresses here. Through our selected collection of elegant mother-of-the-bride dresses, we try to choose gowns and dresses that embody a classic, elegant, and modern style.
We keep our picks updated with the latest styles and trends, with an eye on modern mother of the bride dresses. For more tips on how to create an elegant mother of the bride outfit, we share ideas for how to add the right shoes, jewelry, and other accessories on our section of mother of the bride outfit ideas. These styled outfits are designed to help the mother of the bride or mother of the groom to find the perfect details from head-to-toe for the big day.
Here are some of our favorite gowns, organized by color to help you quickly find the perfect mother of the bride dress in your selected color scheme.
Sequined and Metallic Dresses and Gowns
See All Sequined and Beaded Dresses
Sequined and metallic MOB dresses can be especially perfect for evening, or black tie weddings, however, it's fine to wear one of these sparkling dresses any time. It's a great way to wear one of the wedding's theme colors in a glitzy way!
Silver and Grey Dresses and Gowns
See All Silver and Grey Dresses
Silver and grey are wonderfully cool and neutral colors that can go with almost any wedding party color scheme. From gunmetal gray to ice-blue silver gowns these shades of dresses are some of our favorites! They look great in summer, spring, and winter weddings. See all our picks for Silver and Gray Mother of the Bride Dresses.
Gold and Neutral Dresses and Gowns
If a warmer gold or neutral is the color you're after, this shade too will blend in with so many other wedding party attire colors. Choose gold sequins for heavy-hitting glamour, or a subtle taupe or champagne. We also picked several short dresses in neutral colors for another option. Any way you go, the result is sure to be timeless!
Red and Burgundy Dresses and Gowns
See All Red and Burgundy Dresses
Red and burgundy tones are perfect for fall weddings, and winter weddings, especially over the holidays. The raspberry and magenta colors in this range can work for spring and summer weddings too!
Pink and Blush Dresses and Gowns
See All Pink and Blush Dresses
Pink or blush are ideal colors for mothers in a wedding. Shades of pink, rose, mauve or even coral are particularly wonderful for warm weather seasons like spring and summer and for cheerful daytime weddings. Truly we think pink and blush is a classic color choice for a wedding of any season, and blends with so many wedding party attire colors quite easily.
Coral and Peach Dresses and Gowns
See All Coral and Peach dresses
We love coral and peach for beachy destination weddings, boho desert weddings, spring and summer weddings, early fall, or just in for weddings in general! If bright corals are muted peaches are your color, you might like these gowns!
Yellow Dresses and Gowns
Under the general color of yellow, a dress can be anything from a deep marigold or mustard to and pale butter yellow. As such we love this color for spring and summer weddings, and early fall events as well! A yellow dress or suit can be a lovely look for daytime, while gold and deep yellow bring more glamour for the evening.
Green Dresses and Gowns
Green is a beautiful dress color no matter what the season. A pale or mint green can be an absolutely beautiful shade for spring and summer weddings, while deeper emerald and hunter-green colors can be a beautiful choice for a fall or winter wedding.
Light Blue Dresses and Gowns
We think a light blue hue is one of the most classic colors out there for mother-of-the-bride dresses. From a seafoam blue-green, to a pale dusty blue, to pale blue that edges on silver, you can't go wrong with a light blue dress or gown!
Dark Blue and Navy Dresses and Gowns
See All Navy Blue and Dark Blue Dresses
Navy blue is a seasonless classic color for weddings. This color can look beautiful next to lighter colors in a spring wedding, appear nautical and summery, or add some depth to the harvest and jewel tone colors we see in fall. Here are some gorgeous navy blue gowns and dresses for you to consider.
Purple Dresses and Gowns
Purple is often an underlooked shade when it comes to dresses, but we love it. Imagine how pretty a lavender gown would look as a spring or summer mother-of-the-bride dress. For fall and winter turn to the deeper aubergine, plum, dark mauves, and berry ranges for a great look.
Black Dresses and Gowns
We don't think black is off-limits for a mother-of-the-bride dress -- you just have to know how to pick them! When choosing a gown, stay away from a somber black style by adding sparkle, a lace overlay, or other embellishments. An elegant black gown is a staple for formal weddings and black tie weddings in the fall and winter. To keep the look even lighter, try florals or prints against a black background. Even with these rules, black dresses are best for evening and cooler months. If a dark color is a must for you the wedding is a dayor summer season wedding, we suggest navy blue or a charcoal gray.
Floral Dresses and Gowns
Floral mother-of-the-bride dresses are amazing because the right pattern can bring together several colors in the wedding color scheme. The visual interest that a floral pattern creates makes for a stand-out style! Floral dresses are perfect for a spring wedding, a summer wedding, or outdoor weddings.
Gowns and Dresses for Mother of the Bride by Color
Perhaps you already know which color you want to wear for the big day. These links are here to help you quickly find the perfect mother-of-the-bride dress by color.
Sequined Red Pink Coral Gold Yellow Green Light Blue Dark Blue Purple Gray Beige Black
Plus Size Short Sleeve Long Sleeve With Jacket
Mother of the Bride Dresses by Season
There are some gorgeous long gowns and short cocktail dresses here for everything from a daytime wedding to a formal evening wedding, and in every color.
Spring
See all Spring Mother of the Bride Dresses
Spring kicks off the wedding season and ushers it in with beautiful pastel colors, floral prints, and breezy styles. With this in mind, we've curated a collection of the perfect mother of the bride dresses for spring ceremonies and receptions.
Summer
See all Summer Mother of the Bride Dresses
Summer is the prime wedding season. We've hand-picked the best summer mother-of-the-bride styles with bright and light colors, flowy styles, and effortlessly elegant looks.
Fall
See all Fall Mother of the Bride Dresses
Fall has become one of the most popular seasons for weddings. With beautiful foliage, cooler weather, and sunny days in mind we've selected fall mother-of-the-bride dresses and that will compliment a rich palette of harvest colors and embrace the warmer fabrics of the season.
Winter
See all Winter Mother of the Bride Dresses
Winter weddings have unique feeling that mixes with the cozy season and anticipation of the holidays. We've picked a great group of winter dresses in winter special occasion fabrics and jewel tone colors, that will be perfect to wear for your son or daughter's wintertime wedding.
70 of the Most Stylish and Elegant Dresses for Mothers in the Wedding to Wear this Season
While we organize many dresses by color. We keep this rotating list of our top picks for mother of the bride dresses along with the details of where to buy them! We hope you find the perfect dress in this selection of stylish evening gowns and formal dresses. Affiliate links are used in this section.
Popular Styles of Mother-of-the-Bride Dresses
Elegant Evening Gowns
The ideal long mother of the bride dresses are timeless long dresses that match the formality of the wedding and the mothers role of honor. A long mother-of-the-bride dress usually provides an instant elegant style that will set your look apart in the perfect way from the attire of a wedding guest, and wedding party. If the bridesmaids are wearing long dresses, then most times the mothers will opt to echo those same styles by adhering to a more formal dress code and wearing a long gown.
Long Sleeve Dresses
One of the top requests we see is for mother of the bride is a long sleeve dress that covers the arms. We've pulled an edit of long-sleeved gowns to help you see at a glance your options when looking for a long-sleeved dress. We've found off-the-shoulder styles with sleeves as well as illusion neckline styles that give a bit of sheer coverage.
Short Sleeve Dresses
Long sleeve length styles might not work for all weddings, especially in the warm weather months, that's why we've found some short sleeve styles with a bit of are coverage for effortless casual elegance. See short sleeve MOB dresses.
With Jackets
Another request we see is for a mother-of-the-bride dress that comes with a detachable jacket. These versatile styles give you the option of being covered up for a church ceremony and for staying warm for an outdoor wedding, while having the option to shed a layer when you decide to hit the dance floor. These are always a great choice because of the options. See all MOB dresses with jackets.
Tea Length
A midi dress or tea-length dress is a popular choice for wedding guests, and this sophisticated length is perfect for mothers of the bride as well. It's an inherently elegant style that suits daytime weddings to evening semi-formal styles.
What Are The Best Silhouettes for the Mothers in the Wedding To Wear?
There are so many mother-of-the-bride dresses in different colors and silhouettes to select from these days, that you'll just want to choose the perfect one for you. Perhaps you already know a certain dress or gown that you always love to wear. Knowing the colors, sleeve lengths, necklines, silhouettes, and colors that suit you or that you prefer will help you find the right dress. Fabrics play a big role as well. We love the figure flattering style of a stretch crepe, or stiff satin or silk, or the flowy style of a long gown.
How Do You Style and Accessorize An Elegant Mother-of-the-Bride Outfit?
After you choose the perfect dress, jewelry, and accessories are the finishing touches on the look. Again, find the balance of your personal style, while also selecting jewelry, makeup, and accessories that suit the dress color, and the level of formality. Here are links to a few of our favorite modern mother-of-the-bride outfits we've created with ideas for how to style your mother-of-the-bride dress.
Mother of the Bride Outfit with Light Blue Dress and Long Sleeves and Crystal Accessories
Rose Gold Cocktail Dress with Gold and Amber Accessories
Elegant Pink Formal Mother of the Bride Outfit with Pink Accessories
Silver Lace Wedding Outfit for the Mother of the Bride or Groom with Silver Accessories
What Are The Best Colors for the Mothers in the Wedding To Wear?
It's an important balance that you'll try to strike with your wedding day outfit. You'll want it to in some way compliment the wedding color palette, bridesmaid dresses, theme, and to suit the venue, season, and time of the event. beyond that, you'll want it to suit your own body type, personal style, and fit preference while perhaps also tying in some of the significant colors or themes to the day. Speak with the couple and see which dress colors they feel might best suit the occasion, and then search by those colors to find silhouettes and styles that you love!
Red Pink Coral Gold Yellow Green Light Blue Dark Blue Purple Gray Neutral Black Sequined Plus Size Short Sleeve Long Sleeve With Jackets
If you are still stumped on what to wear, or how to coordinate your outfit with the rest of the wedding party, you might like this guide on What Colors Should the Mother-of-the-Bride Wear? It answers some frequently asked questions about Mother-of-the-Bride attire including the best colors to wear and how to coordinate with bridesmaid dresses and the wedding party.
Fitting Tips
Remember, in addition to the outward accessories, having the right shapewear and tailoring will go a long way to ensure the perfect fit. Attention to fit alone can take a dress that looks frumpy and ill-fitting to the next level of elegance and make it a gown that will enhance your natural beauty and shape.
Follow us on LTK for up-to-date mother of the bride outfit ideas and more wedding attire shopping ideas.
Past Features
This is an older image that was used for the cover of this article and as a pin on Pinterest. These dresses are now out of stock, but we still include the image here for proper image credit to the original collage sources.
Commission links are used in shop sources: 1// Lara Dresses Beaded V Neck Dress from Couture Candy 2// Short Sleeve Sequin Mesh Gown by Adrianna Papell From Nordstrom 3// Lace Bridesmaid Dress with Lace Bodice by David's Bridal 4// 3/4 Shimmer Lace Sleeve Dress with Shantung Skirt from David's Bridal 5// Portrait Collar Gown by Teri Jon 6// Lace Column Gown by Tadashi Shoji from Nordstrom 7// Long Mesh Dress with Cap Sleeves and Lace Bodice | David's Bridal 8// Betsy Dress from BHLDN 9// Beaded Mesh Dress by Pisarro Nights from Nordstrom
Cover photo image credit: Photo by Christiana Rivers on Unsplash
This shopping guide page was originally published April 2013, updated 2013-2023. It was updated significantly in June 2023 with another refresh on October 18, 2023.
