Mother of: Amanda
Venue: Villa & Vine Weddings, Santa Barbara, Calif.
Vibe: Intimate outdoors
Dress: Aidan Mattox from Saks Fifth Avenue
“Finding the perfect MOB dress felt overwhelming at times,” says Gloria, whose daughter Amanda married Shane in an intimate outdoor Santa Barbara gathering in September. “Reading the stories shared here on Mother Of kept my spirits high. Seeing each mother's unique style and hearing their experiences motivated me to continue my search.”
Gloria ordered 15 dresses and tried on several more in store. The 15th order was the obvious winner: a green and white floral on black print v-neck gown by Aidan Mattox – fitted through the bodice with an A-line skirt and a hint of shimmer. (It’s out of stock from the brand, but we found it on sale at T.J. Maxx.)
“I had high hopes for this dress based on the photos I saw online,” Gloria says. “The color palette and pattern really caught my eye; it felt formal yet maintained a fun, casual vibe.” Pockets sealed the deal for Gloria, and when she FaceTimed her daughter, Amanda immediately declared it “the one.”
“It checked all my boxes,” Gloria says, “including the price.” Most Aidan Mattox dresses sell for under $300.
As she searched for her dress, mother of the groom Hollee was cheering Gloria on. “She would say ‘I’ll pick my dress after you choose yours since you’re the mother of the bride.’ To be honest, that was a bit hard for me to wrap my head around. Her son was getting married, and the day was just as much about him and his family as it was about the bride and our family. I never wanted her to feel like she had to take a back seat that day.
“Hollee is stunning, and I personally felt a little insecure about how I would feel next to her,” Gloria admits. “I had to shake those feelings off because the day belonged to the bride and groom and equally to their families.”
Hollee wore a light olive green satin corset dress by Mare Mare Emmy purchased at Anthropologie.
“Not only did I love it when I saw it in person, but I happened to be with the bride and she loved it too,” Hollee says. For me that made it feel even more special.” Hollee and her husband both wore lighter shades of green to coordinate with their son Shane’s dark green wedding suit. The green leaves on Gloria’s dress blended right in. “It turned out we coordinated beautifully in the wedding party photos,” Hollee says.
Gloria’s mom made a statement all her own in a champagne colored bloused dress wtih jacket they found on Amazon for under $100. “She’s four feet tall and apple shaped," Gloria says. "We wanted something that gave the illusion of a waistline and preferably with a jacket in case she got cold.” Grandma’s favorite part of her outfit? The Jessica Simpson silver metallic flats she found at DSW for $9.99.
Says Gloria, “Grandma loves nothing more than her grandchildren and a deal!”
| Photography by Alyssa Ruby