Planning a wedding is generally focused on the bride and groom, however, moms are important too.   So many times I hear that this selection is critical because they want their children to be proud of them.  Well guess what?  Your children are already proud of you!   In order to complete the wedding plans we are going to give you some guidelines to help the difficult selection process.

The Dress:  The first thing to consider is the basics such as the location and type of wedding.  Is this an outdoor wedding, informal wedding at the beach, or black tie formal wedding.  For the formal wedding you will want a very dressy full length beaded dress suit, full length dress with a jacket or evening gown with a wrap.  For the informal wedding you may want to select a dress suit, tea length or knee length dress, or dressy pant set.  Involve the bride and groom in your plans.  They may have some wonderful suggestions that are most helpful and can share their vision of what they like such as color, etc.

The next important consideration is the bride's colors. Never wear the same color as the bride unless this is a tradition in your culture or the bride requests it.  Keep in mind that there will be photos taken and you will want to keep the colors of your dress, in most cases blending but not the same as the bride or bridesmaids. For example, if the bride's colors are burgundy you would not want your dress to be bright orange or red as these colors would literally scream clash at each other in the photos. Keep in mind you will have to live with these photos for a very long time.  Instead you may want to select a dress in silver, pink or teal using the example with burgundy. Select a color that you love wearing that will enhance your beauty but respect the other colors.

What style will I wear?  There are so many wonderful styles for both young mothers and more mature mothers.  You can select from the more traditional full length dress and jackets or for the more modern strapless dresses with wraps and asymmetrical hemlines.  Be cautious not to select something too revealing as it can move the focus of attention from the bride to you. This is a mistake that you will regret.  If you are having trouble deciding what would be best ask your seller for some suggestions.  They deal with these issues on a daily basis and are well aware of the new styles that will enhance your best qualities.  You can also go to a bridal shop and try some dresses on to see what you like best then you will absolutely know what to look for.

Of course you want to buy your items on ebay as it will save you a great deal of money.  Weddings are expensive and we can use all the help we can get at times like these.  Take your measurements.  I know, everyone hates to do that but they are only for you and your seller to know, not the rest of the world. Hint: Use a fabric tape measure not a metal tape measure for accurate measurements, and yes, I have had ladies use their husband's metal tape measures that will give false numbers and doesn't tend to wrap around easily.   Most of the dresses on ebay offer measurements.  If they don't, contact your seller for the dress of your choice and have them take measurements for you.  You can also request additional information such as the skirt or dress length, arm circumference if you have areas of concern.  You will want to have your dress fitted so it is perfect for you which may include a few alterations.  Keeping this in mind,  find the dress that will require the least amount of alterations.  Ask if the design of the dress will be compromised  as some designs will lose their beauty in some areas.  For example, if there is extensive beading or appliqued designs on the skirt and it has to be altered will the pattern be lost.  Now you are fully prepared to go shopping on ebay, of course.

Prepare to shop early to avoid last minute stress.  Many mothers forget to purchase their dress until the last minute.  Those final days leading up to the wedding are normally hectic in order to complete those final preparations. If you purchase your dress and early chances are you will not only be successful in getting a better bargain price but you will find the dress you really want and not one you had to settle for.  There is nothing worse than being in the last week of the wedding to have a dress that you paid a fortune for require alterations that can't be accomplished by the time you need to wear it.  Take the time to prepare early, after all, you are worth it!

There is nothing more joyful than to see how happy your child will be on their wedding day.  They truly love and appreciate the effort you have put into this important event.  They are and will be so proud of you, their beautiful mother!