• Once the bride and her bridesmaids have selected their dresses, both the mothers can start their own dress shopping. (They should start their shopping as early as possible.)

• Their style of dress will depend upon the formality of the wedding. What do the bride's and the bridesmaids' dresses look like?

• Ask the bride what style she would like to see you in. Search through magazines and show her style that you would prefer and get her input.

• When choosing a color of dress, the mothers should not choose black, white, ivory or cream. Try on different colors to see what looks best. You do not have to choose the same color dress as the bridesmaids'.

• They should choose a dress that compliments their figure and that they will feel most comfortable in.

• Traditionally, the mother of the bride would select her dress first. Then she would let the mother of the groom know what the dress looked like. This way the mother of the groom could select a similar style. Of course, nowadays, the mothers do not have to dress alike. What one mother may be comfortable in, may not be comfortable for the other.

Find a local RI bridal shop for Mothers' attire.