Mother of the Bride or Groom: Frequently Asked Questions

You are the hostess of the wedding. You and your daughter will decide how formally or informally you will be dressed and what colors she would like for you and the groom’s mother to wear. If the wedding is a very formal evening affair, a long gown or dressy pantsuit is appropriate. If your daughter is being married in the morning or afternoon, you might select a shorter dress or pantsuit. Once you have decided on the length and color of your gown, you should communicate with the groom’s mother to give her a guideline as to the style and color she will wear.

You are the guest of honor at your son’s wedding. The bride’s mother will advise you as to what she is wearing–long, short, formal, casual, color, etc. Using her input as guidance, you can select something that coordinates with the wedding.

You and the bride should consider the wedding photos. If the preference is for everything to match, mothers can wear the same color as the bridesmaids. If mothers are to stand out a bit more, they might choose colors that coordinate with the wedding colors.

It is customary that only the bride be dressed in white or ivory. Mothers, while very important, should not try to compete with the bride.

Begin shopping for your wedding attire at least six months before the wedding day. Order your garment at least four months prior to the wedding. You will have far more options available to you and will find the experience much less stressful.

You may always purchase directly from our stock. Since few designers stock ready-to-wear dresses and gowns, you may need to order your garment in the size and color desired. Once the gown arrives at The Henry’s, allow time to have any necessary alterations completed on schedule. As the wedding day nears, your garment will be steamed and ready to wear.

Dresses on average take 8–12 weeks from the time they are ordered to arrive.

Most designers can rush an order to get it to you in time. The quickest rush is 3–5 weeks and is always an approximate ship date. In most cases, expect to pay an extra fee per dress to rush your order. If you have selected an Ursula garment and they have the style, size, and color in stock, we will receive it in a few days.

As soon as possible, come to the shop to try on your dress for fit, color, and condition. It is rare for there to be anything wrong with a garment, but it does happen. The sooner we are made aware of a problem, the greater the recourse we have with the designer. We will go to bat for you to get any questions resolved.

Possibly. The size charts from which you will select the size to order have one bust, waist, and hip measurement per size. Unless your measurements match those of the size chart, you will probably need a tuck or two here and there. And depending on your height, you may need to have your garment hemmed.