Over the Christmas period we were pleased to receive two wedding invitations, one from friends and the other from my son and his fiancée. I’m now starting to search for outfits to wear as a wedding guest and as Mother of the Groom.
Last year I helped to dress a second time bride, Mothers of the Bride and Groom along with a Stepmother of the Bride and therefore it should be easy but dressing for a wedding involves many factors. To begin with we’re stepping out of our comfort zone and dressing more theatrically than usual, especially after lockdown. Unlike years gone by it’s rare these days for most of us to don a formal dress and hat.
A good place to begin is by discovering the colour theme for the wedding to ensure that your outfit will harmonise with the rest of the wedding party, especially in the photos. It’s useful to undergo Colour Analysis to discover the large range of colours and make-up shades to suit your skin tone. This knowledge then gives plenty of options for colours to compliment the wedding party, especially for a key role like Mother of the Bride.
The setting of the wedding will also influence the choice of outfit, a formal affair in a country house hotel may call for a more structured look compared to a relaxed ceremony on a beach. The venue may influence where we shop along with our available budget. It’s not healthy to spend thousands if we really can’t afford it and a premium high street dress can look fabulous with the right accessories and combination of colours.
Pinterest provides a vast resource for gathering ideas and deciding on your likes and dislikes. Why not start your own style board by collecting pictures of outfits that you might like to wear.
Manager Mary at Joyce Young Collections at Belsize Park is extremely helpful, and with a fabulous boutique offering a broad range of wedding outfits, ranging from bespoke to more relaxed styles. Alternatively, Melynda Jayne boutique at Balsall Common has a beautiful collection of more cruise style dresses.
To compliment your outfit why not have your shoes and bag dyed to tone with or contrast your outfit. I’ve used Shoe Dying Direct several times to dye satin shoes and bags with very professional results.
The next question is whether to wear a hat, fascinator or hairclip. Again, it’s useful to ask if other party members will be wearing hats as you probably won’t want to be the only person in headwear. Once your outfit is decided upon it’s worth trying on several types of hats to discover the styles that suit you individually and will enhance your outfit. Millinery Designer Jayne at Jayne Alison Millinery offers professional advice on shapes and colours at her studio in Nuneaton and also has a great web shop to purchase from.
Jewellery will complete your outfit and Park Lane website or even Etsy show a variety of metals and sizes. Try different shapes, metals, pearls and stones to decide on the best look with your outfit or you might like to have a bespoke unique piece made as a keepsake.
The final addition will be your make-up and if you’re not confident in this area many beauty salons and cosmetic counters offer lessons. It’s also possible to book a make-up artist along with a hairdresser for the morning of the wedding.
As a wedding guest you'll want to not only look fabulous but feel comfortable and if you’d like further help just get in touch for a no obligation chat and I’d love to hear from you,
Suzanne x
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