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11 Easy Rules for Shopping Gorgeous, Budget-friendly Mother-of-the-Bride Outfits

Updated on July 18th, 2024

Dear Budget Fashionista:

I am a soon-to-be mother of the bride. I have been searching for something stylish, but all the dresses I’ve seen are unfashionable and also expensive. How do I find a gorgeous mother-of-the-bride (MOTB) dress without spending a fortune?

How to find mother of the bride outfits

I feel your pain! In my search for MOTB dresses, I found most of the options to be dowdy and matronly.

Still, you don’t need to look like Whistler’s Mother (the old lady in the rocking chair) just because your kid’s getting married. You can be stylish and elegant, even glamorous if you dare. After all, you will be seeing folks you haven’t seen in years (maybe an annoying cousin or aunt) and you want to look your best.

Here’s what you need to know to find that perfect MOTB outfit.

Close-up view of mother-of-the-bride hugging daughter. This image is part of an original post published on Budget Fashionista.
Source: Canva. @Budget Fashionista/Speak LLC.

1. Shop early

Hopefully you’re dealing with a wedding that’s planned well in advance of the actual date. That way, you can take advantage of end-of-season clearance sales and discontinued styles. Those will be way cheaper than “now” dresses.

2. Basic has benefits

Admittedly, this is hard advice to take. You want to show up perfectly for your kid’s wedding. That makes it tough to shop for an all-purpose outfit that you could reuse for another occasion. But the multipurpose outfit has more value than a one-time wear.

If you want an outfit you can rewear, stick to the basics. You may have to forgo sparkles and flash, but then you’ll have a nice, formal dress available for other occasions.

3. Look beyond the wedding store

Interestingly, you can often wedding-worthy outfits cheaper by shopping in non-wedding stores. Try a nice, dressy pants suit from Ann Taylor or check out the clearance racks of your local Macy’s or Dillards. Formal wear from mid-range brands like Tahari are usually great options. This is because the word “wedding” raises the price. Hack that issue by avoiding wedding shops and looking to stores that carry evening wear and cocktail dresses.

4. Think outside the box

Don’t get stuck on wearing a dress and only a dress. Thinking outside the (dress) box can widen your pool of affordable choices. How about a nice mother-of-the-bride pantsuit or jumpsuit? Either is a classy option with the potential to be very elegant.

  • Pantsuits: For budget-friendly, versatile mother-of-the-bride pantsuits, shop R&M Richards at Macys.com .
  • Jumpsuits: Formal jumpsuits can make a beautiful statement, but the nice ones tend to be pricey. Look for more affordable options at Gilt, Rue La La, and Lulus.

5. Get it made

A custom dress is a great option if you know someone who can sew. You might also try calling your local fashion design school to see if you can have a dress designed by an up-and-comer.

6. Know your best fit

A great fitting outfit makes you look slimmer and stand taller. Be open to having off-the-rack pieces altered to fit your body.

If you are top or bottom heavy, opt for separates; you will have greater control of the fit.

When in doubt, tunic and A-line silhouettes are almost universally flattering — just team them with heels to stay out of the frumpy zone. And remember the two golden rules: Don’t go too tight and don’t go too short.

7. Choose colors wisely

While you may wish to keep in theme with the bride’s color scheme, knowing which shades suit your complexion will help you narrow your options.

Hold up different hues of fabric against your skin to see which look best against your skin tone. If you tend to get flushed, steer clear of  reds, pinks and corals. These will only exacerbate the red-face look. Instead, try soft pastel shades of blue and green that give a cooling glow.

8. Bring the bride

The bride knows the venue and wedding theme better than anyone. Her guidance can be invaluable.

9. Shop online

If you have lots of time, shop online. Amazon Prime Try Before You Buy is a great option — read about my experience shopping formal dresses on Amazon here.

10. Try consignment stores

Your local consignment shop may be a great place to find an affordable mother of the bride dress. This is because most of them are particular about the merchandise they resell. And, since many MOTB dresses are only worn once, your options should be in like-new condition.

11. Borrow

If you have no budget, check with friends and relatives to see if someone has a dress you can borrow or buy cheaply. Borrowing is best if the dress fits you precisely, of course. Otherwise, you’ll need alterations and then your pal won’t want the dress back.

You can also try Rent the Runway. Again, you won’t be able to make alterations. But the price is right.

Get ready to turn heads

Dressing the MOTB part is stressful, at least it was for me. I agonized more over that dress purchase than I did over my own wedding dress.

Here’s my advice: Stay patient, know your style, and keep shopping — you’re sure to find the mother-of-the-bride outfit that’ll turn heads for all the right reasons.

27 thoughts on “11 Easy Rules for Shopping Gorgeous, Budget-friendly Mother-of-the-Bride Outfits”

  1. I am the mother of the groom who lives in London while I live in Yorkshire I love my future daughter in law but do not quite know what I am suposed to wear. Do not do formal but would like to make a statement this time I need to wear something that is long floaty and would like skirt top and jacket am young at heart dont want to be frumpy. also would like to wer a big hat as I love hats can you help me

  2. Good advice on the dress – any advice on colors to consider? Pastels, jewel tones? he bride is wearing ivory – pretty formal.

    Any info is helpful!

  3. To wedding mothers on both side of the “pond”:  Try Alfred Angelo.  Forget the “Mother of the Bride” stuff.  Check out the combinations and dresses for the bridesmaids.  You have a lot of color choices, hem lengths, prices, plus you can re-use the dress for another semi- or formal event at a later (or earlier!) date. 

    When my friend got married, both mothers, the best woman, and the matron of honor all got dresses from this company using the wedding colors.  They even have dresses for pregnant women!

  4. Try catalogs like Barrie Pace. Ive been mom of brde 3 times in the last six years-first daughter’s wedding I wore a short dress w/matching coat jacket(liz Claiborne) in a silk fabric in blush pink (daytime/bridesmaids in lt.blue)
    2nd daughter’s wedding I wore a (Barrie Pace)fitted silk 2 piece dress with column skirt (nighttime outdoor wedding/bridesmaids in victorian lilac)
    3rd daughter’s wedding I wore chiffon halter in tangerine-very soft color-not bright (Da Vinci bridemaids) and had extra fabric ordered to make a shrug jacket (afternoon/evening/bridemaids in alfred angelo coral)
    Yes-most MOB dresses are awful-either you’re the dowager or the over sparkled barfly

  5. Try catalogs like Barrie Pace. Ive been mom of brde 3 times in the last six years-first daughter’s wedding I wore a short dress w/matching coat jacket(liz Claiborne) in a silk fabric in blush pink (daytime/bridesmaids in lt.blue)
    2nd daughter’s wedding I wore a mocha (Barrie Pace)fitted silk 2 piece dress with column skirt (nighttime outdoor wedding/bridesmaids in victorian lilac)
    3rd daughter’s wedding I wore chiffon halter in tangerine-very soft color-not bright (Da Vinci bridemaids) and had extra fabric ordered to make a shrug jacket (afternoon/evening/bridemaids in alfred angelo coral)
    Yes-most MOB dresses are awful-either you’re the dowager or the over sparkled barfly

  6. Hi Everyone,
    I am soon to be 60 and my daughter is getting married in Oct. 2008.  Wonderful, exciting, we have the ceremony, reception, etc. booked.  All is well.
    I just have one little question….I am 5’3”…135 lbs….as I mentioned…60.  I cannot believe the “mother of the bride” dresses I am finding!  I want a gorgeous suit, skirt length just at the knee, a little lace would be great. My daughter thought pink for me, her color scheme is cream and cranberry. 
    Is there any such place to go look for such a suit??  I don’t care about the cost.

  7. Hello Budget Fashionista – I am getting married in the fall and I absolutely LOVE the suit that is featured on this page.  I think that it would look amazing on my mom.  I was wondering where I would be able to find it.  Preferably in Ontario Canada. 

    Thanks so much!

  8. Get it made!  I found a suit that is perfect to my mom’s figure and what she would wear.  She looks wonderful in a very elegant pant suit.  The price for the suit online was over 2 grand….so she brought a colour picture to the dressmaker who is making her an exact copy for 300.

  9. ok so it has been a while since I have been on your site, and wow I am a little suprised that you mentioned the site stylebug.com. i went on there to check it out…..not very “budget minded” Im afraid, in fact scrolled through 2 pages and found nothing under 300 what happened im so sad, i could always rely on this site to find great deals for the budget fashionista……

  10. The important thing to remember to avoid the frump factor with separates is to make sure there’s some structure somewhere. Soft and flowy can be okay, but it’s the flowing skirt AND jacket that makes a traditional (read: bad) ensemble. A structured, pencil-style skirt could be paired with a softer top, or a structured jacket with an a-line skirt. The shoe can be important too – a chunky heel will date any look. If you need more support, look at Sofft’s dress shoes – vintage without being heavy.

    For my wedding, my mom found a cute, at-the-knee Jessica McClintock dress with a matching bolero. For my brother’s, I found her a Donna Rico dress in a summery berry red. She looked amazing both times, and has worn the Donna Rico dress since.

  11. My daughter wants to get married in Pink, I know that the mother of the bride should never show the bride up, traditionally what would be the safest colour for me, as mother of the bride to wear? I am 45 years old so I don’t want to wear something that an older mother would be wearing, but I do prefer a long dress to short

  12. Ruth – if you’re daughter’s getting married in pink, consider wearing a gown in coral or green. Traditionally, the only colors to avoid are white, ivory (to the point that it draws attention away from the bride), or black (unless it’s a black and white wedding). Consider what the attendants are wearing so you’re not clashing or fighting but rather complementing.

    But it should also be a color that looks good on YOU. If you don’t look good in that color, it won’t be flattering in the pictures. Happy dress hunting!

  13. My daughter is getting married outside in our yard in a couple of months. it is going ot be a do it yourself event, so a hectic day. I am quite overweight so I want to be comfortable but also look really nice. I picked out black mid calf capri pants and I have spent I don’t know how many hours shopping in stores and online for a nice fun and fancy top to go with them. I like the styles of some of the seperates at david’s bridal but the material is horrible. Any ideas on place to find a young and fun top. Something that doesn’t look like a 60 year old would wear or a maternity shirt! Even though I am overweight I do have curves and would like something that shows those. I am thinking of a jewel tone purple, teal or pink for the color

  14. hey guys the suit is from Lord &Taylor (online : http://www.lordandtaylor.com), but it is sold out :(.

    However check nordstrom.com and dillards.com for similar stylish suits. We’re also putting together a Style in Pictures featuring over 30 great mother of the bride outfits/dresses on a budget

  15. I think it is a great idea to wear a pant suit. It is so comfortable and elegant and you can wear it to basically any event. You do not always have to wear a dress and that is what some people just don not understand. If you have the perfect outfit and it is a pant suit, wear it with pride.

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