Weddings

Advice From a Mother of the Bride: What to Wear and When to Favor

Our resident wedding etiquette expert, Leslie Milk, author of It’s Her Wedding But I’ll Cry If I Want To: A Survival Guide for the Mother of the Bride, answers a couple of all-important MOB queries.

Courtney and Geoff had cute pompom pins for guests with snippets of a poem attached. However, our MOB expert says memories can also make the perfect favors. Photo courtesy of Abby Jiu Photography.

Do we have to give out favors at the wedding? Our budget is really tight.

Favors are not required, and you may be doing your guests a favor by skipping them. Many of us have a drawer at home filled with little goodies we got at weddings that we feel guilty throwing out but that serve no identifiable purpose. It is enough to send guests home with fond memories of your wonderful day.

The groom’s mother hates my color scheme and does not want to wear a dress in one of my colors. I don’t want her to ruin all of my wedding pictures. What do I do?

Obviously she has never heard the old adage that the job of the mother of the groom is to “show up, shut up, and wear beige.” But you don’t want to go to war with your future mother-in-law. Find out if she would be willing to wear a complementary shade–if she hates purple, she might prefer a soft rose, for example. If she remains obstinate, the dress isn’t the issue. She can wear any color she wants. The focus will still be on the bride and groom.

Do you have a wedding etiquette question for Leslie? E-mail kbennett@washingtonian.com and we’ll get you the answer!