Can the mother of the bride wear black?

Can the mother of the bride wear black?

My daughter is getting married and has chosen a lovely black dress for me. I’m just not sure if it’s okay for the mother of the bride to wear black. Are there any protocols on this?

Yes, there are traditional protocols that certain colours not be worn at a wedding (e.g. female guests should avoid wearing white since it takes the attention away from the bride). Black also falls in this category since some may find it associated with a more sorrowful time.

In this case, it was your daughter that chose the black dress for you. If she is fine with you wearing black, then, “go for it”! Particularly if her wedding is going to be a black tie affair, your black dress will convey a classic elegance and beauty, which is probably why your daughter chose it for you in the first place.

Match your stunning black dress with your glowing warm smile and “proud to be the mother of the bride” body language and everyone will have no doubt how happy you are for your daughter.

Two side notes to consider:

1. If this is a summer wedding or a wedding in warm weather, you may find wearing black a bit warm for you (especially since there may not be any air conditioning at the wedding ceremony/reception site). Prepare yourself for the warmer weather, just in case!

2. If you are wearing the same black dress during the day time and night time, you may want to change the appearance/formality of your look so that the dress appears more relaxed during the day and more formal at night (since black may be somewhat heavy to wear during the daytime hours). Consider pairing the same dress with different jewelry/accessories during the day time and night time to change up your look!