Moms and Maids

When Did Your Mom get her Dress? (or FMIL)

My Mom keeps asking me when she should get her dress- I told her I have no Idea (our wedding is 7months away) I told her I think that she can get her dress whenever she wants. (She's not a person that fluctuates on her weight nor is she dieting to try and drop down a size)

But then she thinks it's to early, I told her it might be, but if she looks she can see what styles she likes and hopefully can get a great deal, that is if she wants.  Especially since both me and my brother are getting married next year (me in spring, he in fall) and the expense for the weddings, they're giving us both money, and gifts- that we know that we're going to get, and potential shower throwing etc.

When did your mom/fmil get their dresses?  Also do you know where? I know my mom looked at DB and was almost in tears when she saw some of those dresses as she felt they looked too old for her (which probably didn't help as when we were there she was broaching her 50th birthday even though she clearly looks like she's in her 40's still).  I just don't know what kind of advice to pass on- never been a bride before. :)

Re: When Did Your Mom get her Dress? (or FMIL)

  • edited December 2011
    My mom bought her dress for my sister's wedding at Nordstrom too. I think she got it 2 or 3 months before the wedding. She hasn't been dress shopping for my wedding (Nov 2011) yet and neither has FMIL.
  • edited December 2011
    I'm an MOB who agrees with your mom. WTH is it with David's Bridal? There's not much of a selection for MOB.

    I third the Nordstrom recommendations. Check out their website. I haven't purchased my dress, yet, but I will most likely order it from Nordstrom or buy something off the rack at Macys or another department store. In that case I would start looking 3-4 months ahead of time.
                       
  • edited December 2011
    I'm hoping the moms already own the dresses they wear to my wedding. Their choice if not. But the parents are paying for our wedding, and I am not going to pressure or suggest they get something new, perhaps just the opposite.

    Ooh. There's a question: If Mom asks, "What should I wear?" (Something she often asks when we attend a party together, and has since I could form complete sentences) can I tell her, "I really like the maroon dress you wore to my sister's graduation"?
  • LoveMuffinsLoveMuffins member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    My Mom got her dress about 8 months beforehand at Lord & Taylor. Of course, she then has re-bought it about 5 times because it went on sale and then clearance, etc. Ended up paying $30 for a dress she originally bought for $150.

    I hate the DB selections for MOB dresses. I'd say check out Macys, Lord and Taylord, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's - the department stores and whatnot.
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  • MobKazMobKaz member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    edited December 2011
    With a wedding in April, I would wait at least until the holidays to start looking for dresses.  Your mom should find a lot of options between Thanksgiving and New Year's in the regular department stores.  The bridal specific shops are not only discouraging, they almost all carry the same dresses.

    I can't say enough about the selection and policies at Nordstroms.  The shop at Woodfield has an excellent alterations staff. The turn around time is fairly fast for basic alterations.  Their return policy is outstanding.  Unless your mom is hard to fit, or a "nervous Nelly" about finding just the right dress, I would encourage her to wait, if possible, until late winter....February or so.  New styles arrive all the time.  I found my dress there in March (for a June wedding), after going there two other times prior.

    A friend of mine was told to check out a store in Lake Geneva called Germaine's.   I think the selection was supposedly broader than typical bridal salons.
  • NicnJen01NicnJen01 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Thank you, I'll pass it along.  She does have a dress but she doesn't think she has anything special enough for her "only daughters wedding" and it's a good reason for her to get a new dress that my dad can't comment as to why she needs another one.

    I will tell her to check out those websites and if she finds her "the one" then it will be perfect, if not she'll have time.  She's not an awkward size but rather tall and willowy i guess would be the right way to put it.  We're actually going to Lake Geneva soon (my brother is getting married there) and perhaps we can take a detour there prior to checking out the reception hall for him.
  • gailpetegailpete member
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    edited December 2011
    Department stores are a great place to look.  I did order my dress from a bridal salon. Some of the designers have some very nice, non frumpy dresses.  They also have lines that are meant as evening gowns and not strictly MOB dresses.  I ordered mine in February and it came in at the end of May, which left enough time for alterations.  Since I am a plus size, I found a dress I liked and ordered some additional fabric and had the seamstress make some sleeves to match the design of the rest of the dress.  It was a Jade Couture dress.  They had a bunch of lovely dresses.
  • Kate61487Kate61487 member
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    edited December 2011
    DB is definitely the worst place to look for MOB dresses. 

    My mom found several dresses she really liked on the MOB section of TK actually.  We found a store (House of Brides) that technically carries them, but they didn't have ANY of them in the store nearest us, they just could order it, and my mom really wanted to try them on, so we looked elsewhere.

    While she saw a few on Nordstrom's website she liked she ended up buying two dresses at a little boutique near our house (yup, two, she couldn't make up her mind so she bought them both).  It was a store that carried some of the designers she originally liked on TK.  She ended up being one hot mama if I do say so myself :-)



    I think the ultimate purchase was only about a month or so before the wedding, but that was after several months of searching, so it's better to start sooner - y'never know, she might find something she loves!  and don't forget to think of the posibilities of a dress. The one my mom bought was floor length and she had it shortened since my wedding was in July

    @ Elisabeth - there's nothing wrong with suggesting a dress she already owns, but a lot of moms WANT to go find something special, so don't be surprised if she doesn't take your recommendation :-)
  • HandBananaHandBanana member
    First Anniversary First Comment
    edited December 2011
    My FMIL and my mom got their dresses at Von Maur (department store) about 3 months before the wedding. They also shopped at Nordstrom, Macy's, and few other places.

    Yeah DB is horrible.  I didn't even like walking in there as a bride and I may be the only person that doesn't like their BM dresses or dealing with their sales people.
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  • edited December 2011
    Holidays are excellent times...especially places like Dress Barn, and the big department stores.  All of the sparkly stuff is out and towards the end you can get some awesome sales!
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  • Kimberly0402Kimberly0402 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    My mom bought her MOB dress the same day we bought my wedding dress. It just so happened that she found THE dress for her. My FMIL hasn't gone yet. She probably won't until this fall or early spring.
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  • ootmother2ootmother2 member
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    edited December 2011
    I got my gown early summer for a mid September wedding.

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  • edited December 2011
    My mom kind of put it off longer than she should have (her words) because she couldn't find anything she liked. She ended up ordering hers in May for my July wedding. It came in July 1 and she had to hurry and get alterations done. I would probably not recommend waiting that long. I think 3-4 months out is generally good, depending on if it needs to be ordered or not. If she's buying off the rack at a dept store, she would just need enough time for possible alterations.


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  • TwoByTwilightTwoByTwilight member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Your moher needs to buy her dress now....

    I told my mother 6 months ago "buy your dress" she thought I was insane that I as making her purchase so soon. Well now the wedding is 2 months away and she just went shopping for a dress.

    Every place she went into they said "You should have been here 6 months ago..."

    She found a dress and it's coming in the week BEFORE the wedding- that now means rushed alterations if she needs to.
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  • jemmini6jemmini6 member
    5 Love Its Name Dropper First Comment First Anniversary
    edited December 2011
    I don't think my mom or FMIL have purchased their dresses yet.  They are adults, I don't feel the need to babysit them through the process.  Also, I do know that they have both been looking at JC Penny (they've both sent me a few links), so it's not like it will be anything that they have to custom order.
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  • lzmac11lzmac11 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011

    I got married this past April.  My mom and my MIL both got their dresses at a little boutique shop in town (which is also a bridal shop) my mom ended up finding a bridesmaid dress that she looked fantastic in, and my MIL found a perfect dress for herself that was in the MOB/MOG section.  Because they found them there they needed to be altered slightly. 

    My only suggestion would be to go sooner than later if they are going to get them at a boutique/shop.  Any alterations that need to get done may take a while.  

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  • JCM10JCM10 member
    First Anniversary First Comment
    edited December 2011
    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_moms-maids_did-mom-her-dress-fmil?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:357Discussion:046cf6d5-5257-4c64-990c-f3f49000caa3Post:bc438a67-1b23-4e02-8fe0-c69044c1de18">Re: When Did Your Mom get her Dress? (or FMIL)</a>:
    [QUOTE]Your moher needs to buy her dress now.... I told my mother 6 months ago "buy your dress" she thought I was insane that I as making her purchase so soon. Well now the wedding is 2 months away and she just went shopping for a dress. Every place she went into they said "You should have been here 6 months ago..." She found a dress and it's coming in the week BEFORE the wedding- that now means rushed alterations if she needs to.
    Posted by TwoByTwilight[/QUOTE]

    <div>Most MOBs I've known just walk into a department store and walk out with a dress...your experience definitely isn't typical. Just have her start looking now to see what she likes/wants and tell her to feel free to show you ideas when she's ready and volunteer to go look with her if she'd like that. My mom hasn't started looking yet and my wedding is 4 months away. We always go buy new dresses (mom sister and I) for Easter the week before. I don't know why this trip would be any diffrent for us. We'll probably go sometime in the next 4-6 weeks.</div>
  • djoann958djoann958 member
    First Anniversary First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I bought my MOB dress at a small bridal salon. I tried numerous upscale department stores and saw a lot of dresses that I liked. But, they either didn't have my size, it wasn't the color that I wanted, etc.

    I looked through theknot.com MOB dresses and picked a few designers that I liked. I am only in my 40s and did NOT want a frumpy dress. Many designer dresses look more like evening gowns than MOB dresses. Then I found a bridal salon that sold the designer that I liked the best and ordered my dress in the size, color and length (tea, short, or long) that I wanted. I ordered it 5 months before my daughter's wedding. It took 3 months to come in and 1 month for alterations.
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