Finding that special dress for your big event is not always an easy task. It’s like trying to fit jigsaw pieces together without knowing what the overall picture may be. But, sometimes, those puzzle pieces fall into place and a soon-to-be Mother of the Groom walks out with the perfect dress through a series of fortunate events.
This past June, the Mother of one of our soon-to-be Grooms named Lisa stopped in to browse our Mother of the groom dresses for her son’s September wedding. As the Manager of Darianna® Bridal & Tuxedo’s Mother Department, I was excited to help her.
The Dilemma
She told me that her soon to be daughter-in-law (and Darianna® bride!) Brittany was in our store in January 2024 and sent her a picture of one of our featured gowns. Lisa wanted to try that particular gown on but was having difficulty finding the photo.
She described the gown to me, but after five months, a change of seasons with different color dresses, and several trunk shows rotating through our store – in addition to the large selection already on our floor? I was cautiously optimistic.
The Search
We began looking through all the new arrivals and our current in store trunk show. Lisa found a few that she was interested in and started to try on. She was also texting her Bride and searching through all her text threads looking for that elusive photo.
I started pulling anything to show her what may have been a possibility for the unicorn dress the Bride really liked for her.
Lisa found two really good contenders that she was considering. About 30 minutes and several dresses later, her Bride finally found that photo from January. SUCCESS!!! We still had the gown in stock, but it turns out there was another obstacle to Lisa getting her dream dress.
The Snafu
This gorgeous navy blue stoned ombre lace gown from Montage by Mon Cheri had just been moved to the discontinued list. A manufacturer can decide to stop offering a gown for special order at any time which means that they won’t be cutting any more new gowns.
Not to be deterred, Lisa tried the gown on and it was an almost perfect fit!
Checking the remaining inventory, I quickly found out that there were no more navy gowns left in stock in any size. Lisa had the last one!
The Happy Ending
After a quick confirmation consultation with her Bride, Lisa said yes and left with a huge smile on her face. She said yes to her Mother of the Groom dress she wanted for her son’s wedding day! Cannot wait to see Lisa’s finished look and happy to have been able to walk with her through a series of fortunate events!
Advice For Mothers of the Groom & Mothers of the Bride
- Shop 9-12 months before the big day. This is plenty of time for the dress to arrive and for you to have your alterations.
- Shop at a formal wear store with a professional stylist, good customer service, and dresses in your price range. Do not order online for your child’s wedding day. Please.
- When you find a dress you love, that you feel great in, that fits your personal style and the wedding colors, don’t wait. Purchase it.
- Get the right dress in the right size! Have your measurements taken and view the size chart to see where you fall.
- If there is a particular dress code, (casual/tea length, beach wedding, formal black tie wedding, etc.), tell the stylist. She will bring you the perfect match from their dress styles to fit the theme properly.
- Tell your stylist the wedding colors. Let her know the bridesmaid dress colors as well so she can find the best options to coordinate the wedding palette and complement your personal coloring.
- Tell your stylist any preferences you have, such as a preference of long sleeve or short sleeve, a fitted column dress or an a-line silhouette, a strapless dress or a high neck, etc. There are many dresses to choose from so tell her your preferences upfront.
If you are looking for the perfect mother of the bride dress, head on over to Darianna® Bridal & Tuxedo! We have beautiful pieces from designers like Cameron Blake and Ivonne D, and Montage, all by Mon Cheri. In addition, we have Adrianna Papell, Alexander by Daymor, Jovani, and many more.
These designers create beautiful pieces in luxurious fabrics (not the unstructured, cheaply-made dresses from the online discount sites). They offer solid, print, and floral dresses with various embellishments, including rhinestone pendants, beaded, appliqué, and matching wraps.
Not only that, our team is lead by Suzanne Ardite with over 35 years in the bridal/MOB world. She seasonally curates a lovely selection which is on trend and size inclusive! Suzanne, and the rest of our friendly team, can’t wait to help you find the most beautiful dress for this most special occasion!