Wedding Blog
mumm’s the word - by Whisked Away on Polyvore.com
Every year on New Year’s Day, the Mummer’s Parade (Mrs. Cupcake posted about this) struts through the city, bringing with it elaborate costumes and spirited performers competing in four categories — Comics, Fancies, String Bands, and Fancy Brigades.
What’s this have to do with weddings? Well first, no, Mama Bruschetta is not a Mummer.
Nor does she wish to look like one on our wedding day. See, we share the opinion that the vast majority of the mother-appropriate ensembles are… flashy. Gaudy. Garish. (And considerably overpriced!) Anything matching this description (and boy, are there many that do!) becomes a “Mummer of the Bride” outfit.
(Am I using a bit of hyperbole? Yes, of course. But excessive beading and unflattering draped fabric plagues too many “mother” dresses.)
For Sister and BIL Bruschetta’s November 2007 wedding, we selected a two-piece Watters and Watters (bridesmaid!) dress. The colors matched the fall feel perfectly, and the outfit didn’t overwhelm my mom’s small frame. Left to right are Daddy Bruschetta, Mama Bruschetta, Sister Bruschetta, BIL Bruschetta, me, and Mr. Bruschetta.
The solution? Shun the mother label! Search instead for a formal gown that matches the style of the wedding — and more importantly, the mom wearing it.
Has your mother looked for — or worn — an unconventional MOB dress?
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Share this post: Mummer of the Bride
My mom is having the most difficult time finding a MOB that isn’t terribly gaudy. I can totally relate to this post!
My mom ended up ordering a tea length Bari Jay bridesmaid dress. The traditional mob dresses just looked wrong on her.
My mum just bought a navy ‘bridesmaid’ dress that fits in with what everyone else is wearing but at the same time doesn’t look exactly the same as the actual bridesmaid dresses. And I agree there are waaaay too many Mummer of the Bride dresses out there…and so expensive! Who wants to pay that much to look either like a clown or a burlesque dancer?
Unfortunatley, we thought that the dresses in the bridal stores were way over priced and it would be easy to find a flattering dress at one of the department stores. WRONG!!! and by the time we figured this out it was too late to order!!
MOB dresses all look like Grandmother of the Bride dresses!!
We’ve spent 10x more time looking for the MOB dress than the wedding dress! It continues to elude us…
My mom wants to get one of the Ann Taylor bridesmaid dresses for her dress. They are beautiful and the pistachio color would look great on her. Not sure about the length though….
I went to a wedding where the MOG looked like a contestant on “Dancing With The Stars.” All glittery and flashy and loooww cut and ruffle-y. Not good. Oh, and she had elbow length gloves. It was…bad. My mom has already lamented that she HATES everything she’s seen (and she’s only done some online window shopping!). It’s gonna be a long ride for us, I think.
We haven’t looked for my mom yet, I just wanted to say LOL to Mummer of the Bride 
your mom’s dress was soo pretty and elegant. Hope she finds one just as perfect for your wedding!
oh, Brusch, Mummer of the bride?!
@LatteLove: Done and done 
But you’ll hafta stay tuned!
My mom wanted a full length dress, and we did a little shopping but she was dragging her feet and being indecisive and afraid to order anything online and then she and my dad went out and bought the Ugliest Dress Ever. So my sister and I decided to bite the bullet and order a few dresses from Nordstrom, have her try them on, pick one, and then return the rest. Then we were done with it. I know she wasn’t totally thrilled with the dress when we showed it to her - it was pewter, and she thought the color was hideous, but it was a nice design, the bridesmaids dresses were blue, so no other color really went, and it was the right style of dress for her, plus the other dresses we had ordered weren’t as nice. We told her she could only be so picky, and that it could be returned, but she should keep it for a month and decide how she felt. She wound up loving it, and everybody at the wedding told her how great she looked.
Your mom looked stunning!! My mom and I have been searching for an appropriate dress for her. She is petite (like your mom) and gets lost in the matching jackets that go with almost every MOB dress out there! Thanks for the post.
@Miss Glitter: I should add, the chiffon-like jacket she’s wearing is from David’s Bridal. It allowed her to feel appropriately “covered” without ruining the look or making her too warm!
Your mom looks beautiful! My mom actually found something similar for my cousin’s wedding, & she was actually able to wear the 2 pieces separately with other outfits afterwards. My mom is very petite too so she doesn’t like to look as if she’s being engulfed by a sequin monster.
My Mom wore a “bridesmaid” dress too! It took just one glance at the stuffy MOB offerings for us to know they weren’t for her. She looked adorable in her v-neck choice and wore a matching shrug-type jacket for the ceremony.
@Cecilia: @miss_peony: @kosstobe: @Mrs. Tiramisu: I love hearing about all the MOBs shunning dresses the wedding industry thinks are just for them!
@happilywaiting: LOL at “sequin monster”!
Yep! JannyPants got herself a “regular” dress from the special occassion section of Lord and Taylor.
Hahaha I love your new lingo and I completely agree!! When I went mother of the bride shopping we ended up looking through several dress brochures instead of the dresses on the rack and were able to find a fabulous dress that way.
My mom is absolutely NOT wearing a traditional MOB dress. She is cute, stylish & fun…quite unlike most MOB dresses!
have i mentioned how excited i am that you are a bee now? because i am!!!
ohhh she and your whole family look so pretty in that picture!!!
my FMIL found a gorgeous simple formal gown from a store in Philly! She isn’t into MUMMER OF THE BRIDE either!
I love your “mum’s” ensemble! my mom is making her own dress. (and there will be no beads, shiney bits or draping!)
@Miss Perfume: Wow! The bridesmaid dresses AND her own? I am DULY impressed!
At my sisters wedding my mom wore a bridesmaid dress from Davids Bridal. it was nice and simple.She bought a glittery jacket to go with the dress since it was a evening outdoor wedding but it wasn’t over the top mummer status!
We haven’t even started looking for a MOB dress for my mom, but i agree that the ones out there are scary!! We’ll prolly go to Macy’s or JCP and find her a nice dress that isn’t all sequiny and sparkly cuz that’s so not her
Your mom is hot! My mom is wearing the traditional Korean dress for the ceremony and for the reception she’s getting comfortable.
my mom is wearing a bari jay wrap dress that’s a bridesmaid dress….it’s knee lenght and swingy and so fun! she’s so excited!
both my mom and MIL are very picky women. They found gowns that were marked as MOB or MOG but they definetly do not look like it. The dresses look like they are going to prom.
This has been one of our biggest stresses lately. My mom doesn’t want anything long and can’t seem to find something between “old lady flash” and “MILF.” We’re still looking. . . any suggestions?
@lovelerae: That was our problem too! My mom and I settled on a BM dress by Watters and Watters (just like Bruschetta’s mom).
I was hoping you were going to say that Mummers were going to perform at your reception or something. I think that would have been awesome :).
@lovelerae: I’d suggest checking out Watters and Watters or another “modest” BM dress line!
I told my mom she’s too young to wear an “old lady’s gown” so I gave her a few hits of some bridesmaid dresses. She’s petite, so she’ll look perfect in a simple gown. Couldn’t agree with you more about the beading…how heavy do they have to make it, sheesh!!
I agree, just cause your kid is getting married doesn’t mean you have to have an unflattering dress with a little matching jacket. I’ve convinced my mom to buy a ‘normal person’ dress, like all the other beautiful dresses she currently owns.
Talbots outlet store. Beautiful, 100% silk dress. We were so happy to have found it!
I was at Macy’s with my mom the other day, we were looking in the formal dress section and we found the perfect dress for her to wear for my wedding! The best part is it only cost $99!!
BM dresses are such a great idea!
Even though the mummers always have a great time
I love that! What style number was you mom’s gown? I think my mom would look best in a maid’s dress too!
We found my mom a gorgeous deep purple cocktail dress - knee length though. She looks amazing
@driftslikesmoke: Mama Bruschetta’s wearing Watters Bridesmaids Style 7420 (but with a satin, not dupioni silk, skirt).
My mom always wears black. Well bridesmaids are wearing black so I told my mom she isnt allowed. Yea I so know that will end up being what she wears. But everything she picks out I tell her one of my grandmom’s will end up coming in. Are the mummers performing? If so any deals out there?
My mom also ended up buying a dress off the bridesmaid rack… we found that all the dresses designated for mothers of the bride in the stores we went to were horribly gaudy and usually came with ugly jackets. My mom is in great shape and wanted to show off her nice figure — so she looked much better in a nice simple floor-length bridesmaid dress!
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Mrs. Bruschetta, Philadelphia
Age and Occupation: 25, Communication Professional
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Physical Therapy Graduate Student
Engagement Date: November 30, 2007
Wedding Date: August 2009
Venue: St. Thomas of Villanova Church & the F.U.E.L. House
About Me: I’m a self-proclaimed grammar geek who loves singing (like, really belting it) in the car. My mister and I are planning a vibrant summer soiree celebrating our passions – including food and Philly – and when we make it official, we’ll have been together for eight years! Being super competitive is in my nature, and talking excessively is in my genes. I’ve got a terrible sense of direction, but can always easily find my way into Mr. Bruschetta’s arms.
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