Not to want to wear matching outfits?

oh Merlotgran - can you imagine! I don't feel it was done in a nasty or controlling way. But I do know I'm going to feel a bit guilty about saying no - which I'm definitely going to do now that I've had some reassurance from you all, thank you.

I've never heard of this idea before and I would say no. When we got married we had a colour theme that my cantankerous mother didn't go along with and stuck out like the sore thumb she always was, but telling someone what to wear is beyond the pale. Just got with whatever style you want to wear BUT please try and make sure that if you don't like the colour she's picked at least try and sort of blend a bit so you don't clash. In all our wedding photos my mother looks plain out of place.

This sounds very odd. I have never, ever heard of a bride trying to choose the mother of the groom's clothes before! I'm sure people would think it very odd if the Bride's and Groom's mother turned up in totally matching outfits.

I thought it was a major fashion faux pas to turn up at social events in the same outfit as another guest?

How very strange......it would be a no thank you from me

People might think you're twins!

I saw a wedding at the local cathedral. It was amazing watching all the guests ,male and female, arrive wearing the same rather vivid patterned material ( think Sanderson chintz) in any numbered different styles. Evidently it was customary in that culture for the bride to choose a pattern she liked and the guests went off to the tailors and seamstresses to have there favourite style made up. The effect was spectacular.

Numbered=number of

That's a very strange idea. Definitely a no from me!

I would try not to clash (colours, I mean, not personalities!) but I would definitely not be wearing the same dress as the bride's mother. In fact, would have thought she would have wanted to be 'unique' as Mother of the Bride.

There is a I would try not to clash (colours, I mean, not personalities!) but I would definitely not be wearing the same dress as the bride's mother. In fact, would have thought she would have wanted to be 'unique' as Mother of the Bride.

There is a I would try not to clash (colours, I mean, not personalities!) but I would definitely not be wearing the same dress as the bride's mother. In fact, would have thought she would have wanted to be 'unique' as Mother of the Bride.

There is some advice on the GN Home page about MOB outfits for all body types which could be helpful to MOGs as well.

Oh dear, I don't know what happened to my post

“She said it once, she said it twice, she said it thrice, so it must be true! “

Very strange - no no no!
At DD1's wedding most of the groom's family wore white or cream, which I thought was not done. As it happened DD wore a white skirt and veiled top hat with a purple velvet 'riding' jacket, but the family didn't know in advance. However, my outfit, chosen with the bride, was bright sunshine yellow with navy accessories. I stand out like a sore thumb in the photos! I certainly wouldn't have expected to be told to match anyone else!

What a strange idea ! Definitely a no no. You have your dress and you need to wear something you will feel good and comfortable in. I really can’t understand why her Mother would agree to such an arrangement.

What a very strange woman, how dare she dictate what you wear.
When my DD married I bought an outfit, long before I saw her dress, in colour (pale salmon) it matched the bolero of her strapless dress.
When DS married I bought an outfit in cream silk and told the bride that was what I was wearing. DIL did not tell anyone what her dress was like so I took a risk but on the day she arrived in a gold silk skirt with crimson and gold bodice.

Absolutely not! Just tell you already have an outfit.
Good for your mother Dontaskme - having a colour theme is a step too far.

Hilarious! I know weddings have taken on a life all their own but honestly, even the biggest Bridzilla can't possible dictate the outfits for the Mob and Mog.
I loved merlotgran's idea of "I too am Spartacus". I particularly liked the notion of everyone wearing the same fabric, it reminded me so much of the Von Trap's curtain material frocks. Ironic Wedding?

I rather hope this is an Easter wind up but fear it may not be, given the Wedding Nightmare stories we often see here.
Just don't do it granny wonder. The Bride is traditionally the Most Important Person at the wedding but nobody can think they're so important can they>

Oh no it's a bit stepford wives that is.!!!
When our son and dil wedding plans were taking shape we were told the colours of men's kilts, bridesmaid dresses. flowers.and then left to make our own choices.

“She said it once, she said it twice, she said it thrice, so it must be true! "

Never knowingly told a fib

having a colour theme is a step too far.
I think a suggestion for a colour theme is OK - but going so far as to tell everyone to wear 'black and red' as one bride did (they're divorced now) is going a bit far.
A bit of colour co-ordination is better for the photographs - after all, it's better not to clash

merlotgran I am choking on my lol

A suggestion for co-ordinating outfits:

Wear your own choice, an outfit that gives you confidence. Don't want it to look like you and the other mother had a "dress off " and neither of you would back down on wearing the same choice.

I didn't know weddings have colour schemes. Really?

I'm behind the times and frankly glad of it.

Witnessing two people solemnly declare their commitment for life. Rejoicing in their happiness. Family and friends are invited for these reasons among others.

Colour schemes? Where do these self serving controlling rubbish odd ideas come from.

I didn't know weddings have colour schemes. Really?
Well, not really schemes (although some do) - just not wanting to clash with the MOB or bridesmaids - eg red and bright pink are not a good combination!

At my absolutely magnificent wedding my mother wore all white and my MIL all black.

(Full wedding mass, btw, full bells amd whistles pull out all the stops affair, it was in wedding magazines afterwards. Not a wedding where either mother could have made any sort of flimsy argument for turning up in white or black.)

The wedding pictures look like I signed the pair of them out of a locked ward for the day. Fortunately the photographer "didnt need" more than a couple of shots of either of them....

It's traditional in Nigerian culture for all the wedding guests, both male and female, to wear the same fabric, tailored as each guest wishes.

But I'm guessing that this is a traditional British wedding, in which case it's a Bridezilla taking over the world! As others say, send a polite thanks-but-no-thanks and make your own arrangements. If the bride is antsy about it, I'd play along with the idea but just do my own thing, turning up in the purple-with-yellow-spots outfit that I'd planned all along.