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Honeysuckle Pink – Color of 2011

December 13, 2010 By Maureen Chapdelaine 2 Comments

I received a newsletter from my favorite Mother of the Bride dress designer Marisa Baratelli.  It was a short informative piece on color choice and how the color of garments can create feeling and mood.  The color purple was highlighted, my favorite color after black.  (Is black a color?)  “What a great article to share with The MOB Blog readers,” I thought.

I waited six hours too long.

Before firing up my computer to begin blogging, coming from the radio playing in the background I heard, “And when we return, we will unveil the fashion industries color for 2011.”

Well ladies, it’s not purple.

The color choice for fashion in 2011 is Honeysuckle.

Last week The Wall Street Journal, along with other publications, reported, “Color authority Pantone plans to announce that its color of the year for 2011 is an intense pink it calls ‘honeysuckle.’ “

Pantone, Inc. is the world-renowned authority on color and provider of color systems.

The color honeysuckle is described as vibrant, energetic, courageous and confident…supporting Marisa Baratelli’s suggestion that color does, in fact, create mood.  What Mother of the Bride would not want to be wrapped in courage and confidence the day of her daughter’s wedding?

Or will this be a color best left for the attending bridesmaids?

So there you have it.  After the holidays, when you begin your search for that perfect Mother of the Bride dress for your daughter’s 2011 wedding, be sure to begin looking for styles that come in the color honeysuckle.  And let us all know how you made out!

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Carole Middleton ~ Happy To Be Me

November 29, 2010 By Maureen Chapdelaine Leave a Comment

Can you imagine being Carole Middleton? 

I remember so clearly the engagement of Prince Charles to Lady Diana Spencer in the winter of 1981.  Although older than Diana and the mother of two children, I could not help but feel that it should have been me!

I had six great aunts living in Ireland at the time.  My great aunt Maureen, (I was her namesake) was educated in London receiving a nursing degree and she went on to become mid-wife to Queen Elizabeth for the birth of both Prince Charles and Princess Anne. 

Maureen proudly showed me Christmas cards and photos she received from the Queen during one of my summer visits to Ireland.   While the mid-wives received a diamond broach at the birth of Prince Charles, Maureen received a broach with a beautiful emerald symbolizing her Irish heritage.

My father was next in line to inherit the farm land and manor house owned by the Stafford family in Ireland.  His official title was Esquire.

All of this is to say, I had an in with Queen Elizabeth, I was much closer in age to Prince Charles than Diana and although totally meaningless, my father had a title.  I had a Dorothy Hamil haircut, albeit brunette, and I knew to wear a slip under my skirt, especially when the sun was shining.

It should have been me.

But now I am older and much wiser.  Now I fall into the category of Mother of the Bride.  All I can think of when I read about Carole Middleton, mother to Kate Middleton and the future Mother-In-Law to Prince William, is, thank heavens it’s not me!  Can you imagine the pressure of having to buy a Mother of the Bride dress that will be seen and analyzed by millions and millions of people?

And the press is already dissecting her chosen diet to fit into that dress.

No thank you.  This time I am happy to be me.

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Mother of the Bride Dress

November 10, 2010 By Maureen Chapdelaine Leave a Comment

Mother of the Bride DressI just received an e- mail from a woman I worked with a few years ago.  Her son is engaged and I can tell from her note that she is thrilled.  Shopping for her MOG dress is first on her mind (of course) and she wrote asking for recommendations on where to begin.

Several new Mothers of the Bride have joined the The MOB on Facebook, and posted comments about their upcoming search for their Mother of the Bride dress.

I thought this might be a good time to re-post an article from The Knot titled Mother of the Bride: Attire Etiquette Q & A.

The article is filled with traditional based advice.  As with anything you read on wedding planning, however, keep in mind that it is a platform on which to begin.  Your bride and her wedding will be unique.

My thoughts on shopping for your Mother of the Bride dress?  Talk to your daughter and follow her lead while gently reminding her that everyone wants to feel comfortable and look beautiful the day of the wedding.  And always keep the Mother of the Groom in the loop.  Keeping the lines of communication open with the MOG will set the stage for a happier outcome.

So click on this blue link and hope on over to The Knot for advice on wedding attire etiquette.

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Wedding Planning: Don’t Forget the Mother of the Groom

October 13, 2010 By Maureen Chapdelaine Leave a Comment

We enter the world of wedding planning at different levels of preparedness.  When Dan arrived for lunch one Saturday afternoon to ask for Katie’s hand in marriage, wedding planning was the furthest thing from my mind.  Worse…I had nothing in my mind as I had attended perhaps three weddings in the past ten years.  Add to the mix that my time and money were totally focused on a major home improvement project.

I entered the arena of wedding planning overwhelmed and ill prepared.  It took me six of Kate’s fourteen months of engagement to get up to speed.

I often look back and wonder how Dan’s mother survived those first six months.

I remember the six of us meeting for dinner in Boston to celebrate the engagement and upcoming wedding.   We did have fun getting to know each other, and embarrassing Kate and Dan reflecting on some of their childhood mishaps.  Certainly too soon to talk wedding the topic of wedding dresses did come up.  Isn’t that the first thing on the mind of a Mother of the Bride and Mother of the Groom? Wanting to appear casual, I fluffed the question off with a remark along the lines of whatever works.

What kind of an answer was that?  And to be honest, I really don’t remember ever calling her to talk over length, or color or style.  When I decided on my Mother of the Bride dress, did Kate call Dan’s mother to give her a heads up?  I don’t remember.

Why am I thinking about this now?  I recently had lunch with a friend who reminisced about her experience as a Mother of the Groom and the difficulty she had choosing her dress because of lack of communication from the bride and her mother.  Was she expected to wear a traditional style Mother of the Groom dress? What color?  How could she even begin to start looking?

While reacting to my friend’s story with concern, a knot grew in my stomach as I thought… “OMG! She is describing me!”

Regrets, I have a few, and if there was the opportunity for a do over planning Kate’s wedding, I would be more communicative with the Mother of the Groom. 

Besides, someday I may find myself wearing the hat of  Mother of the Groom.

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Mother of the Bride Dress ~ Black is # 1 Color at Stylish Impressions

October 11, 2010 By Maureen Chapdelaine Leave a Comment

The number one color choice for a Mother of the Bride dress at Stylish Impressions in Farmington, Connecticut is …drum roll… BLACK!  Yes, ladies, I was shocked myself!

According to Diane Booney, owner of Stylish Impressions, a Bridal Boutique that has serviced the Farmington Valley area for over 25 years, sixty five percent of her Mothers of the Bride choose to wear black. 

Black tie weddings, giving the Mother of the Bride the occasion to wear black, are not uncommon in the Northeast.  Black has become popular as the color of choice for bridal parties as well, and not only during the winter months.  I attended a wedding last July where the bridesmaids wore beautiful light weight black gowns.  What a perfect opportunity for a mother to also wear black.

Readers of The MOB Blog know that I am on a mini-mission to do away with the belief that wearing black at your daughter’s wedding is considered inappropriate, indicating disapproval or bringing bad luck. This will be no small task as I continue to find more and more website posts discouraging mothers from wearing black.  I feel these writers should take a reality check, rather than simply reworking old news.  I believe they would find that tradition has already changed; that a Mother of the Bride wearing black is quite modern and acceptable.

The runner-up colors Diane sells to her Mothers of the Bride are:

Number 2 – Wine

Number 3 – Navy

Number 4 – Black & White

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Wedding Favorites~Mother of the Bride Dress by Marisa Baratelli

October 6, 2010 By Maureen Chapdelaine 2 Comments

My husband and I attended the wedding of a best friend’s daughter two summers ago in Charleston, SC.  The wedding was spectacular, but it was Marion’s Mother of the Bride gown that left a lasting impression.  Marion wore a beautiful gown from the Marisa Baratelli collection.  I keep an eye on their new designs and colors each season.  As the mother of daughters, you just never know when you may be called upon to be Mother of the Bride …again!

Marisa Baratelli is my Wedding Favorite for Mother of the Bride dress!

Thank you to Mandi Hulsing, VP Sales, of Marisa Baratelli for the following post.

Marisa Baratelli sells to specialty boutiques which are all independently owned, and cannot be found in department stores. We value the personal attention that is given by small specialty stores, who take ownership and pride in all of their work. For 20 years we have been dressing mothers, and are proud of the many wonderful testimonials we receive from satisfied customers.

We are mostly known for our rich and radiant color palettes and the unique offering of all hand-woven silk designs. With the ability to design our fabrication exclusively in house, the Marisa Baratelli line offers over 30 colors per season in addition to hand blocked prints and woven plaids that cannot be found elsewhere. The merchandising of an ensemble can be uniquely designed to fit personal taste and individuality, tying in perfectly with the visions of the bride, and with results nothing short of spectacular. We know women come in all shapes and sizes, so when pairing together different tops and bottoms, split sizing is accommodated with no additional charges, and sizes range from 2-18.  As a “cut to order company”, special orders take about 4-6 weeks. Oftentimes, in case of a fashion emergency, we can accommodate “super rush” deliveries in 3-4 weeks, depending on the intricacy of the design choices.

In a collection like ours, the most important advice I can give to a mother is that once you have fallen in love with a color, make the commitment. It takes one weaver an entire work day to weave approximately 9 yards of fabric, so once a color is sold out, it may or may not ever make a resurgence. And this is the beauty of the exclusiveness of what we offer.

 

 

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MOB Winner and her Mother of the Bride Dress

September 16, 2010 By Maureen Chapdelaine 2 Comments

Back in June The MOB Blog reported on a fabulous Mother of the Bride makeover contest sponsored by the popular website FabOverFifty.

Treat yourself to the beauty and hairstyling tips, along with Mother of the Bride dress options chosen for winner Sharon Hoffman.  Which Mother of the Bride dress would you have chosen?

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Mother of the Bride Dress: Not Black and White

September 10, 2010 By Maureen Chapdelaine 2 Comments

I wear black.  If I buy a seasonal item on impulse that is not black, I wear it one obligatory time…or maybe twice…and then it slowly works its way to the back of my closet.

Traditions change and what color a Mother of the Bride wears on her daughter’s wedding day may not be so black and white. 

Black is a color that, through time, has been associated with unpleasant events and evil symbolism.  I get it.

But in the fashion world, black is a color of formality and sophistication.  Aren’t we taught that the little black dress should be a part of every woman’s wardrobe?

Why, then, is a Mother of the Bride’s request to wear a black dress on her daughter’s wedding day met with such conflict?  If a woman feels that she looks her best wearing black, why must she, on such an important day, be required to be the center of attention wearing a dress she doesn’t love?  Worse…why must this woman face herself in the mirror wearing pink, or green, or blue, while the wedding guests enjoy the reception looking absolutely stunning in black attire?

It is also believed not appropriate for a wedding guest or Mother of the Bride to wear white.  However, I have noticed a trend towards MOB wearing champagne colored dresses, despite the fact that most brides today wear a variation of white: ivory, eggshell, and yes, champagne!  And I’m not hearing too many people voicing their disapproval.

The last wedding I attended the Mother of the Bride wore a champagne colored dress that was dangerously close to the champagne color of her daughter’s wedding gown.  The fabric saved her.  (Yes, I should have been listening to the vows, rather than performing a color analysis during the ceremony.)

Maybe it is in the name.

Maybe we should refer to our black Mother of the Bride dress as midnight or noir; something sexy like champagne.

Now…if my daughter’s Mother -in-Law, the MOG, walked down the aisle wearing black… :)

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One Bride…One Dress

September 6, 2010 By Maureen Chapdelaine 2 Comments

What’s new in wedding planning?  It appears there is a new trend for brides to wear two dresses on the day of their wedding.  Well, worse than becoming a new trend, shopping for the perfect flowing gown to wear down the aisle, and a second elegant but short option to wear while wiggling on the dance floor is becoming quite common.  And if this news is not bad enough, it appears the trend of a two dress wedding day is not only applicable to brides…but also her mother!

I suppose I should not be so surprised.  Teaching ESL classes exposed me to cultures where several dress changes is common on a bride’s wedding day.  I attended a Bat Mitzvah a few years back where the young lady and her mother both changed from beautifully tailored outfits worn at the ceremony, into elaborate gowns for the celebration dinner.

Perhaps the real question is why did it take so long for the wedding fashion industry to begin marketing a two dress affair?

When Kate and Dan married, their wedding ceremony was in a Catholic church held at 2:00 in the afternoon.  The church had to be available for the Saturday evening Mass, and 2:00 pm was the latest the parish would accommodate an afternoon wedding.  The wedding reception did not begin until 6:00 that evening.  What a perfect situation for a bride and her mother to wear two dresses. 

I could have worn a more formal Mother of the Bride dress at the church, and a more casual (yet also expensive) dress at the reception.  But wait…the wedding guests are doing just the opposite.  Guests tend to wear their more comfortable clothing to the ceremony, changing into more formal attire for the evening event.  Would I be sorry that I changed into something less formal? Would I be the one feeling out of place?

And what if in the end I really like one dress more than the other?  If I’m committed to following my bride in the theme of dueling dresses, will I be obligated to change out of my favorite dress?

What about the Father of the Bride?  Does he get to change?  Or is he still required to wear his ill fitting, non-breathable heavy tuxedo all day in the middle of July?

The most talked about issue by Mothers of the Bride is their wedding dress.  The first post by new members to the Facebook Group, The MOB -Mother of the Bride, is frequently frantic questions related to dress shopping.  Buying one perfect dress is stressful…buying two?

I vote we don’t mess with tradition.  One bride…one dress.  Let’s try to keep this trend a secret!

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White House Black Market offers Bridal Line!

August 23, 2010 By Maureen Chapdelaine Leave a Comment

I can handle anything life throws my way as long as I have had a good night sleep… and I am wearing black.  Black is my signature color.

Nothing could have turned this rainy Monday morning into the best day ever, than discovering White House Black Market is now carrying a Bridal line!

Still in high school, Katie woke up startled one night.  Meeting her in the hallway, I asked her what was wrong.  “It was the worst!” she said.  “I just had a dream that you showed up at my wedding wearing a black pantsuit!”  (Excerpt from the wedding book, Not My Mother’s Wedding.)

I live in the hills of Northern Connecticut, far from city life and boutique shopping.  Wardrobe updates are purchased walking the mall, ordering from a catalogue and more recently, shopping on-line.  Fortunately, I have two WHBM stores located an easy drive from my home.  Although the fashion may be a bit young for my baby boomer body, I can always find great black tops and accessories to jazz up my wardrobe.

And who knew I have Coco Chanel to thank for my fashion preference!

Filed Under: Mother of the Bride dress, Not My Mother's Wedding Tagged With: , , ,
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