Your daughter is getting married and it’s time for you to sit down and plan your dress. What to buy, does it suit your body type, does it suit the wedding theme, does it coordinate with the bridal dress and bridesmaid dresses, what should be the dress color. These are all the questions that will crop up once you sit down to think on the mother of bride dress.

Looking classy and elegant should guide your choice when buying the mother of bride dress. Choose the dress that flatters your body and flaunts your finer features. When it comes to mother of the bride dresses, there are ample choices; long sleeved or short sleeved or separates. With an array of choices, what confuses you the most is which color to choose.

Well, a lot many diktats go into choosing the right color—time of the year, color of the bridesmaid dresses, color of the wedding flowers, formality of the event and most importantly the color that you like and suits you.

Here’s a guide to choosing the right color

Monotone: Coordinating the color with the bridesmaid dresses is a classy way indeed. Of course, for that stand out color, you can choose a darker shade of the general color.

Contrast: A totally contrasting color of the mother of the bride dress to the bridesmaid dresses will make you stand out in the wedding photographs.

Tonal: The color of the mother of bride dress can be in the same color palette as the bridesmaids. This creates a lovely effect, especially in seasonally themed weddings.

Patterns: There is no hard and fast rule that you choose a dress in a single color. Infact, to add to the vibrancy of the wedding celebrations, you can choose a pattern of multiple colors. Among the multiple colors, make sure that the bridal color is also included.

Neutral: When in doubt, it’s always best to choose neutral shades. You can never go wrong with them. Get a saturated color that does not wash you out.

Of course, the dress color is your choice. Make sure that it is well coordinated with the colors of the wedding decor, the bridesmaid and of course the color on the bride’s dresses. When in doubt, take a second opinion and the best to turn to is your daughter who would have envisaged how colorful she wants each of her family on her wedding day.

Choosing the mother of bride dress is as stressful as choosing the bridal dress. A word of caution when selecting mother of bride dress—don’t choose dresses designed out of sheer fabrics and avoid too much of skin show. It’s your daughter who deserves to be in the limelight and garner praises. Avoid being a showstopper and dress in sync with the guests without seeming outlandish.