MOB: Pam Coleman
Mother of: Madelyn
Venue: The Milwaukee Art Museum
Vibe: Black tie
Dress: Gramercy Atelier
It was a match made at the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, Florida. Not the bride and groom — Maddie and Michael met online and got engaged after five years of dating. Mother of the bride Pam Coleman was already thinking about a custom dress for the June wedding. And there in Key Largo, she happened upon a Gramercy Atelier trunk show.
They had her at creating a custom fabric for her mother of the bride look.
Pam went into her first consult with designer Maria Pucci thinking she wanted to wear a green dress. The wedding was to take place at the Milwaukee Art Museum, where Pam works, and the color scheme was black and white with pops of fresh greens.
They started sketching a dress that was predominantly green, but Pam was drawn to dresses on the Gramercy website that had florals on a white or creamy background.
Pam loved the look of mothers of the bride next to their daughters in soft, neutral background colors. With the wedding party dressed in black, Pam didn’t want to stick out in green. “I wanted to blend with my family,” she says.
The result was an off the shoulder A-line gown with delicate greens and lilacs on white.
“I was clearly the mother of the bride — an honor I do not take lightly — but in the most appropriate and lovely way,” Pam says. “I loved how my family looked ‘cohesive.’ Those formal group photos are forever.”
Striking the right balance is tricky, Pam says. Having been a mother of the bride twice, both times in custom gowns, here’s her philosophy:
”It is your daughter's day and you need to be the most beautiful ‘background’ you can be,” Pam says. “After your daughter, you are the most looked-at person at the wedding. It is a lot of pressure and the risks of going too young and sexy/revealing or too matronly are always there! You have to find a gown that strikes that balance and it is very challenging. The MOB gown should complement the bride's gown, never overshadow it.”
Commissioning a custom dress is an investment, but it became part of the wedding experience. “My advice is to do it! While it is your daughter's day, MOBs work so hard planning a wedding I think they deserve to treat themselves to this custom experience.”
Gramercy is based in New York but works with women across the country. “If you can go in person for a fitting that is most ideal but it can be done long distance. I am proof of that,” Pam says. “Do your homework and make sure you are working with a reputable company like Gramercy.”
The customization didn’t stop with the dress. Pam wanted to carry flowers as she walked down the aisle. The wedding florist created a live floral design in the shape of an evening bag comprised of the same flowers she carried at her own wedding. It was a hit.
Pam left the evening with another essential floral. When Maddie and Michael gave their thank you speeches, Maddie dedicated the bridal bouquet to her mom, Pam says, “with the kindest words that made me cry.”
