Mother of the Groom Outfit Ideas for 2026 Weddings

Skippy has been looking for an outfit for her son’s wedding all year, and we’ve taken to the internet for some help in the search! We collected a bit of data and figured we would share it with you! This has been very helpful in our search so we figured we’d pass it along! This will be great if you have big events or weddings happening in 2026.

These suggestions go beyond the classic rule of “don’t wear white to a wedding,” especially when your son is the groom. So, here we go!

But there’s a caveat to that rule. This Moonstone set was shared online and the response was that it’s a bit too white for the wedding day, but perfectly appropriate for the rehearsal dinner. In person it has a soft grey undertone and looks absolutely fabulous if you have darker hair. We also love that it’s a pant set you can wear to wedding events. It just gives you more options.

The first rule from Facebook was that you should always ask the bride about the dress code before you start shopping for your mother-of-the-groom outfit. Now, we say bride, but you know your kids best. Whomever you feel will give you the most helpful answer is the one to ask.

If you’re not sure of the dress code, look at the venue. The venue will usually tell you how dressy you should go.

The NAC is going to feel very different from The Farmhouse, so you can use those as clues when choosing what to wear to a wedding.

Just an example, I would wear a Shyloh dress to the Farm house with a lovely Sterling Styles shawl and some sandals, but this Joseph Ribkoff dress with some heels to the NAC.

You can let us know what you think in the comments of this blog. 

The second note from Facebook came when we shared a tulle skirt and blue topper. We thought it looked quite elegant and would be great if you prefer options you can wear multiple ways.

The consensus online? Far too casual! even with the elevated skirt.

This is a lovely look for high tea or as a wedding guest outfit, but the overwhelming response was that mothers of the bride or groom should lean toward a dress or a pant suit.

We also shared the Shyloh dresses as part of our cruise collection, and the funny thing is that the comments suggested them specifically for mothers of the bride or groom! 

Looking back, we see why. These are beautiful silk dresses - one size, lined, and available in a variety of colours - so they work for many occasions.

Now, Deb’s son’s wedding is in September, so they may feel a little too summery for that particular event. That’s when we brought in Joseph Ribkoff.

We don’t bring in his full lineup of evening gowns, but we do have several beautiful dresses that work perfectly for the mother of the groom and the internet agreed.

Unanimously!

How often does that happen?

Oh! And the video that started all of this? A black dress with sparkles on the bodice.

Great for the holidays. Not great for weddings.

The internet does not love black for mothers of the bride or groom. That being said, this circles us right back to the dress code. If the bride specifically asks for black, then absolutely accommodate.

But if that’s the case, you might need to wait until later in the year to start shopping.

If you have a wedding coming up in 2026 and are starting to think about what to wear as the mother of the bride or groom, come see us. We’ll help you find something that feels like you, elegant, comfortable, and appropriate for the big day.