Mother of the Groom - What to wear?

Deciding what to wear to any Wedding can be a tricky task, but when you're the Mother of the Groom, it is very important to get 'the look' right!

Firstly, you don't want to upstage the Bride. You might have known the Groom for a lot longer than the Bride has but its their big day - not yours or the Mother of the Brides.

Secondly, think colours. We all have colours that suit our hair and skin colour, but I would suggest that you avoid cream, white, Ivory - all those traditional Bridal colours.

A good colour to go with is the whatever colour the Bridemaids are wearing, have a chat with the Bride first to make sure that the Mother of the Groom isn't wearing that colour. Also if you are on good terms with the Mother of the Bride, try to choose colours to compliment each other rather than clash.

Deciding whether to wear a Hat is down to you and the Bride. Some Brides hate hat and don't want any at the Wedding. Other love them, and the majority really don't mind if you choose to wear one.

When choosing an outfit, think 'chic Ascot' rather than a suit you'd wear to work. Try to add colour where you can, you may feel comfortable in black but match it with pink or turquoise to give it that happy bright feeling. The Budget really depends on what you can afford, with High street stores making outfits affordable from around £50 and up, with specialist boutiques offering outfits that go into the hundreds or even thousands of pounds.

Depending on the time of year - A dress with a jacket or skirt and jacket are the best options as they enable you to take the jacket off in the evening but keep your shoulders covered for the ceremony. The style of course depends on what suits your body shape but with department stores such as Debenhams offering services from a personal shopper to help you co-ordinate your whole outfit it might be an option worth trying.

For those wanting to spend larger budgets look out for Paule Vasseur (www.paulevasseur.co.uk) and Condici (www.condici.co.uk), both offer a fabulous selection of styles and colours. Visit their websites to view their collections and find your nearest stockists.

For those looking on the High-street - the Capri cocktail dress (www.monsoon.co.uk) offer a bright and colourful look perfect for a spring or summer wedding. Team it with a fushia or red wrap and shoes and a matching hat and clutch bag - Perfect!

Alternatively, try Laura Ashley (www.lauraashley.co.uk) and look at their Lily spot dress. Team it with a black jacket or shrug and a pair of strappy black shoes - Perfect!

Try to take the bride with you when you shop or at least show her what you've got to wear, it'll help her decide on what flowers you should have - if you are going with tradition and having a corsage, you could always ask for it on a magnet rather than a pin so there is no pin hole in your new outfit!

Good luck!