Dressing the Mother of the Bridegroom

With Nick and Sam’s wedding in December suddenly looming nearer, I thought perhaps I ought to start looking for a suitably fetching and above all role-appropriate outfit: not too glamorous, not too expensive, and hopefully not likely to embarrass anyone (least of all the bridegroom).

Duly searching through Google for relevant sites I discovered there are many ‘mother of the bride’ and ‘mother of the bridegroom’ boutiques, all competing stridently for one’s business.

Each stresses the importance of standing out from all the guests in one of their ‘stunning’ outfits, obviously, plus hat, and shoes, and bag, and necklace and earrings from the same establishment…

I can more or less cope with the hype, alien as it sounds. However, each of these stunning outfits seems to be modelled by a trout-lipped hollow-cheeked teenager, about 6′ tall and no larger than a size 6, with legs like pipe cleaners and a very fully pronounced bosom.

Now legally any mother in this role should be at least 32, and many/most no doubt are rather much more, particularly if the son in question is the last of her children, born to someone already 32 at the time. In fact, Nick could be my grandson – that’s a thought.

Perhaps I should be looking up ‘Grandmother of the bridegroom’ sites instead.

Any recommendations, please?

Just to remind: I am not a teenager…

Published by

Marion Fuller-Sessions

Retired and downsized, and sadly now widowed, but keeping in touch with family and friends and friends far and wide via my blog

10 thoughts on “Dressing the Mother of the Bridegroom”

  1. Marion I’m terribly jealous of your slim pins! You always look just right for any occasion you attend – I envy you that!

    With love from your friend Deb ‘thunder thighs’ Web!

  2. Hi Marion, I found your site whilst looking at Tricia Cusden,s Look Fabulous forever website re, older women,
    I have commented on this site about exactly the same problem of finding a nice outfit for sons wedding recently, looking on websites I totally agree with you , that the models are just not age appropriate or size for that matter, most where stick thin 30 something models,
    If you are the Mother of the bride/groom we will be at least in our 40’s/50’s , some will be slim some not , but the clothes were suitable for expensive society weddings in my opinion, I just couldn’t relate to anything on there,
    Eventually my darling daughter took me in hand to Jaqcues Vert shop in our local outlet centre where I got everything hat,jacket, dress, bag, shoes in navy and dusky pink and felt fabulous and got lots of genuine compliments on the day , and it didn’t break the bank either,
    Good Luck with your search, you will look fabulous whatever because your happiness and love for your son will shine through and show on your face,
    Best Wishes. Trish x

    1. Trish, how comforting! I will try Jacques Vert – funnily enough I hadn’t thought of that, although I last time I had to find a pretty outfit for some family celebrations I ended up getting two there!
      I am in my 70’s, 5′ 3 and size12, so very far wide of the (anorexic teenage model) mark on all counts! But all the same I want to appropriately stylish and not frumpy.
      Perhaps we ought to offer ourselves as models for the ‘mother of the bride/groom’ sites!!!

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