Is this not special enough/expensive enough for my son's wedding?

[flowersandmusic]

My son is getting married next year. June wedding. Someone on her recommended this dress for someone else. I went ahead and ordered it - a size smaller as that was all that was available. It has some weight to it and I love it but is it a bit cheapskate for mother of the groom. The money is not www.debenhams.com/product/jolie-moi-angel-sleeve-tiered-hem-maxi-dress_p-3e6c2c44-815f-42c7-b1db-67eae670cce8?colour=Multi&size=10&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22915808283&gbraid=0AAAAABevdS7lom0v68CypUOUtJ7wI713e&gclid=Cj0KCQjwio_RBhDMARIsAJPveNPX9QJHogyDX5JR4S_T4TALqJat6EcPACrQj2f_XntgPAeZTx04zrkaAnTFEALw_wcB

What a bitchy comment.

I think it’s a lovely dress and with a nice cerise jacket would look fine for the wedding.

@EnoughRain Well those are surely evening dresses. Off the shoulder are not really day dresses - plus the lady in blue looks nothing like a barrel!

I think it looks perfect for a wedding. The fabric is flimsy enough that you should be able to wear a jacket over it without the sleeves appearing bulky.

Do any of these appeal?

https://www.next.co.uk/style/su899147/v31346

https://www.next.co.uk/style/su800883/w82941

https://www.roman.co.uk/navy-rochette-smart-jacket-15000060

https://www.crewclothing.co.uk/womens/clothing-and-accessories/womens-jackets-coats-and-gilets/linen-cotton-blazer-blue-wya080/?sku_s=1371843&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23064772020&gbraid=0AAAAAD3mUSPvlLCujXD-8ubG2fQLaYR6J&src=crewnewpdpdesign&om=1

Gorgeous. What a bargain! Hope you enjoy a beautiful wedding

I have a cerise Next jacket that would be banging with that. Navy wide brimmed hat and navy sling backs. Cerise bag.

It was a joke! you know that kind of off the cuff light hearted response that people make when they read something daft and then say something even dafter as an answer. I am rather bemused that you have taken it literally.

I agree. Structured MOB/MOG outfits look very old fashioned. I’m not a fascinator or hat fan either tbh.

I think this is a lovey dress OP. My MIL wore something similar to our wedding. DM wore a linen tunic and trousers with a sparkly shawl and also looked fantastic. Not a jacket or hat in sight.

I love a hat for a wedding. There are so few occasions to wear one now.

Honestly if you look nice in this and you like it and DH and DS this sounds brilliant. Work on the accessories. I’ve got a mix of designer and charity shop high street stuff and often the cheap stuff gets the compliments. Sounds like a winner.

If you really like it, and will be comfortable in it, then it sounds perfect. The price is irrelevant.

It's gorgeous wear it and have a brilliant day

And princess anne looked like she'd been to the charity shop the day before and picked whatever they had in 🤣, the bag, shoes, gloves combo with the dress colour, then that hat really were something 😆. I don't think I've ever seen such a badly dressed wedding guest nevermind mother of the bride or groom.

You don't have to spend loads to look well put together /nice as mother of the bride or groom, but picking things that actually go together helps!

I thought she looked fabulous. So nice to see a stylish individual look rather than the cookie cutter mob/g outfit.

https://www.roman.co.uk/large-contrast-feather-disc-fascinator-21003632?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22263015066&gbraid=0AAAAACsLkkLeeSWmgoHLgzp5IDjX47B63&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0JnRBhDJARIsALobnXbIGdWWjsnCKzJ5tROiYgR3LzKXvieV5RvfGW5N-XUB7nC03Eivk4gaAhirEALw_wcB

This might be nice? Not sure if dress has navy or black in it?

I think a lot of people's ideas of wedding clothes are very outdated now, and are based on what people might have worn to their own wedding, however long ago that was! The kind of 'formal MOG' outfits people are pushing might be what the grandmother of the groom would wear, but not a woman in her 50s, as most MOGs would be. It would be incredibly ageing to dress like that. I still remember when I was looking for an outfit to go to a trendy wedding as a 32 year old, and people on MN were earnestly telling me to look in LK Bennett or Hobbs.

Maybe not with the see-through bit at the bottom or quite as many ruffles

But without those it would be a completely different dress? I agree it would be more casual if it were a standard maxi dress shape, but it isn't! And you might not like floral prints, but there are very much part of standard formal wedding wear, so it isn't the case that a floral print is inherently too casual.

Edited to add some actual advice for OP! I think your instinct to dress up with accessories is good. Looking at the picture the only part of the dress that looks a bit cheaper/less well made to me (the sleeves and the ruffles are really nice) is the waist seam - I wondered whether adding a carefully coordinated belt might be worth trying?

I agree. And I would much rather wear the OP's dress (which is lovely) than the one Kate wore, which I would feel incredibly awkward and old-fashioned in.

It looks ok-ish on Kate, because she's so tall and thin (though I still think she could have looked much better - the colour is pretty horrible). On most women it would look quite literally matronly.

I agree it's much more suitable for a wedding than the school run and would look terrible with flip flops. The styling on the website is clearly for an event so that is what the dress is for.

OP it's lovely and perfectly suitable - even better if you feel great in it! There's nothing worse than seeing people in structured stuffy clothes they would never wear and feel uncomfortable in.

I also thought it was a bitchy comment.

Oh yes....the ideal dress for the school run🤣🤣

Ignore comments like that. It's a lovely and you can dress it up with accessories.

I've just looked at Kate's wedding outfit. She looks stunning. So classy.

Yes, MOB/MOG outfits often seem to occupy this weird alternative universe where it's still 1955. You're really glad that rationing has ended, because you've been able to get hold of a lovely wool crèpe for the village dressmaker to run you up a set of co-ordinating garments with as much structure as an actual suit of armour.

These are clothes which are nothing like any other outfit you own, and which you would never dream of wearing for any other occasion.

Quite often they seem to be cosplaying the late Queen (the only person in the world who actually wore that kind of outfit day-to-day).

When I got married I just wanted everyone to wear what they were happy and comfy in. I think the dress is lovely and you feel good it in so go for it. I would judge someone more for wearing this on the school run than for MoG!!