Being Mother Of The Bride or Groom brings a big responsibility to bear on a woman to find an outfit that is a real statement. Standing out from the crowd whilst not overshadowing the bride requires an outfit with style which will probably be one of the most expensive you have ever bought.

More and more Mothers Of The Bride or Groom want to find an outfit or suit that can be worn again as seperates or as a whole and not have banish it to the back of the wardrobe. This requirement should definately be on your shopping list when you walk into your local boutique. The alternative would be a trip to a dress agency when you finally have a clear out to try and recoup some of the money you spent.

So, where do you start? You need to make a wish list!

What colour do you want? Take into account the colour of the bride and bridesmaids dresses?
What style do you want? A floaty dress or 2-piece with a jacket? A long dress and jacket? A more tailored suit?
What is your budget? You can spend anything from a few hundred pounds to over a thousand so decide before you start shopping what price range you can afford. There is a huge range out there so you should be able to find an outfit that fits in with your budget.
How long have you got?

Ok so the wedidng is twelve months away. Sounds like loads of time but remember you will need something for the season that the wedding is falling in. A velvet suit in July might look a bit silly and you will definately be too hot. If your wedding is in the summer then start lookign in February which is when the new collections start hitting the stores. For winter start in July or August.

You also need to take into account that some outfits may nned to be ordered and this can take from four to twelve weeks depending on the supplier.

So, you've hit the boutiques or the web and have seen your dream outfit. What next?

Well that all depends on you and how clear you are about what you want and whether it suits you. If in doubt take a friend or even the bride to have a look. Your boutique will have no objections in seeing you more than once, they understand how big a decision it is. Don't however fall into that age old trap of being too indecisive only to find you finally make your mind up and when you get to the store they have sold out of your size or the style you liked. Don't say we didn't warn you!