Being the mother of the bride is a huge responsibility, not only on the wedding day but for months leading up to it. Maybe you’re a very hands-on planner and are involved in every detail from the flowers to the wedding band. Or maybe you’re less hands-on as your daughter is more of the planner. Whatever the case may be, it’s still a stressful and emotional time. Looking your best on this important day shouldn’t add to the stress that you already feel, rather dressing up and looking great should make you feel great as well! We’re going to offer some tips and advice for how to look your best on your daughter’s wedding day.

Colors
First of all, it is important to remember that this is your daughter’s day, even if you did plan it and pay for it, you don’t want to upstage her. Of course, you want to look great too, but you want all eyes to be on her first. It should go without saying that white is definitely out. That’s for the bride and the bride only. You can choose a color that matches the colors of the wedding’s color scheme, but try and not pick the same color as the bridesmaids. You should start your choosing your dress as early as possible so that you have plenty of time for alterations and fittings.

Dressing Appropriately
Next, take into consideration the formality of the wedding. Is it a black tie affair or a laid-back beach wedding? Choose your dress appropriately, as you don’t want to stand out by being under or over dressed. Going back to this being your daughter’s day, it can be a good idea to get her input, and if she says she thinks the dress you like is too formal, or too pink, or too short, or long, listen to her advice. Remember, it’s her big day!

Coordination
It is sometimes customary to let the mother of the bride choose her dress first and then talk with the mother of the groom to let her know what she will be wearing, so the groom’s mother can prepare accordingly. This might be a bit old fashioned, but it can really help on the wedding day, especially for photos. You wouldn’t want to wear the exact same color dress as her, let alone (gasp!) the exact same dress!

Hair and Makeup
As for hair and makeup, you want to go subtle yet beautiful. Often times makeup artists go a little further than expected on wedding days, so don’t feel bad by telling them up front what you want. They feel the pressure to perform, which sometimes means you come out with a little too much makeup. Same goes for the hair stylist. Let them know exactly what look you want. Let each of them know that you want to stand apart from the bride, you’re her mom, not her sister. Finally, remember to wear your dress, hair, and makeup with confidence, and have fun!