When your son is getting married, you're riding a rollercoaster of profound and prized emotions. He's your little man, but now he's big, and he's devoting himself to filling someone's life with love. It's a worthy pursuit, and he probably wouldn't be able to make those vows and express his love without the example you've set in his life. There are endless articles and entire books about dealing with this milestone and supporting the chaos that is wedding planning, but there's one element of being a mother of the groom that people don't talk about enough: what you wear.
Amid the insanity of wedding planning and replanning when the flowers get delivered to the wrong location, it can feel a little out of place to ask for help picking out what you're going to wear. The following will explore a few things the mother of the groom needs to know about what to wear to the wedding and any additional events like the families meeting dinner.
Waterproof Mascara
If you take nothing else from this list, please find yourself a waterproof mascara. Yes, even if you think you're not going to cry. Take a minute to peruse some cute mother and son wedding photos and see how quickly you start to feel emotional. You don't want running mascara in the pictures. You don't want running mascara every time he looks over at you during the speeches. You don't want to have to worry about how your makeup looks as you enjoy the music and festivities.
Ask About Colour Scheme
Once your son and his spouse-to-be have decided on a colour scheme for the wedding party's clothing, you want to ask about it. Ideally, you and any other parents of either your son or his partner should coordinate your colours to look good with the bridal party as you will likely be in photographs with everyone. Even if you're certain the groomsmen and bridesmaids won't be in photographs with you, the groom will still probably have a tie, bowtie, shirt, or boutineer with that colour present. The colours will also probably suit the decor when those decisions are made too.
Ask About Seasonal Style Elements
Short sleeves, long sleeves, long hem, short hem—there are many elements of women's clothing that tend to be dictated by the season. It's usually pretty safe to follow suit and approach these season elements as the bridesmaids will be doing. This being said, it is common for mother of the groom gowns to be slightly more formal than bridesmaids' dresses. This means if you're called for something floor-length, go for it.
Avoid White And Black
Yes, these colours are classic and tend to look great on everyone; they can often be seen as a personal uniform by some people who tend to wear mostly black throughout their days. This being said, unless specifically told it's okay because of the event's decor, don't wear black or white. White is traditionally reserved for the bride. Black is the traditional colour of mourning. Yes, part of you probably is mourning a little because life moves so fast, and it's hard to let go and let things develop at their own pace, but your outfit shouldn't be the way you express it.
Consider Your Duties
If you've been given a task or set of tasks to watch over during the wedding, be sure to think about those when making your wardrobe choices. If there's going to be lots of running up and downstairs, you might want to at least bring a pair of flats. If you're going to be popping in and out of the venue and it's colder out, bring a shawl. You don't want to be slowing things down because you didn't come prepared.
Comfort Is Always Important
No matter what the fashion magazines tell you, comfort is always in style. If you feel comfortable in what you're wearing, you're more likely to enjoy yourself, and people who are enjoying themselves always look fantastic. You're in for a long evening of emotions, food, music, dancing, and conversations—choose something that you don't might wearing until three in the morning.
The above tips should help you pick out the perfect thing to wear on your son's big day. It's okay to take your time and find something that feels right for the occasion. Yes, it's his day, but you're a mother, and so you know that all your childrens' days are also your days.