There's no question that all eyes will be on the bride as she walks down the aisle – but the second most fabulous woman in the room has to be the Mother of the Bride. Gone are the days when she was expected to wear matronly outfits, or shot taffeta sheath dresses with a matching cocktail jacket - today’s mother of the bride is a star in her own right.

If you are the mother of the bride your outfit should complement the bride’s dress, while not actually matching, and colours should tone harmoniously, taking cues from the bride. One rule to follow is that the mother of the bride should not wear the same colour as the bride, or the bridesmaids – a good starting point is to talk to the bride – as it is the bridal gown that will set the tone for the whole event. We advise that both the mother of the bride and the mother of the groom wait to choose their outfit until the bride has finalised her dress and the bridesmaids as well. Then ask for a swatch of fabric, and if possible take the bride shopping with you, as this will help you to choose something that complements the wedding party. There are three words that should be at the fore-front for any prospective mother of the bride – elegant, understated and appropriate.

As a general rule, the mother of the bride takes precedence over the mother of the groom, her outfit should be bought first, and then that should be shared with the mother of the groom. The dresses don’t have to match, but once again, they should complement each other – this is especially important as both mothers will be in a lot of photographs of the special day.

You will find gorgeous choices for both the mother of the bride and mother of the groom in the Annah Stretton range of event and occasion wear -https://www.annahstretton.co.nz/collections/mother-of-the-bride-and-groom