Beautiful dresses scout59. I am drawn to the sparkle, too, but my occasion does not warrant it. I am also drawn to “girly” looks like this one: https://www.dillards.com/p/alex-evenings-sequined-lace-rosette-rose-gown/504913852?di=04332008_zi_dove&categoryId=-10005&facetCache=pageSize%3D96%26beginIndex%3D0%26orderBy%3D1&di=04332008_zi_sand&facetCache=pageSize%3D96%26beginIndex%3D0%26orderBy%3D1
The MOB at my son’s wedding is wearing that dress! I think it’s very pretty.
Lucky you that the champagne/blush color works for you. There are a gazzilion beautiful dresses in that color, it seems…that and navy blue.
All of the dresses you posted are very pretty. I’ve found that some look gorgeous on the 6 foot tall model in size 2, but less gorgeous on my 5’4" self!
So…order and try on…
@scout59, I’d order a couple of the Tadashi Shoji dresses from Nordstrom, where the return policy is indefinite. I love the Odette dress from BHLDN (Saw it on my D, who ordered it for a formal event, but the color wasn’t great for her very fair skin), but the availability looks very limited.
Don’t dismiss the impact of a steady routine of weights/Pilates/barre on your arms - you’ve got at least seven months. A friend of mine had less time (and is a size 14-16) and looked great in a sleeveless dress for her D’s wedding.
In my experience, a lot of the BHLDN dresses look great on the models but not so great on lil ol’ five-foot me.
I like that dress too, @musicmom1215 (especially the back)! And I’m not sure that the champagne/blush will work, @thumper1 (which is why I need to try some on.) Since it’s a spring wedding, daughter would prefer pastel-ish colors rather than jewel tones. I’m not a fan of pale blue or lilac, so…
I’m 5’8" so I think I can wear the sheath-style (well, with Spanx.) Again, I just need to start moving and try something on.
If you like the Tadashi dresses, check out their website as you can order directly from them. Both my dress for my son’s and daughter’s wedding were purchased directly from Tadashi. They sometimes have the dress is a different color from the department stores so it is worth a look. I also like that I can wear a smaller size in Tadashi: makes me feel better 
I ordered 13 dresses in two different time frames. I found 1 I liked on and 1 I loved.
The MOB in my S’s wedding was not very forthcoming about her dress other than it was burgundy and she bought it on line.
I agree that you need to try things on. At your height, a lot of things can work.
I like the dress musicmom1215 suggested in wisteria.
Zoosermom, I recommend that you go to Lord & Taylor in person as the new 5th Floor for Dresses is outstanding.Note everything in the store is available online. The salespeople were really helpful and with Lord & Taylor there really is never a problem with returns.
You can of course either go to Nordstrom and Bloomingdales but Nordstrom.com is great. One of my friends whose daughter got married earlier this year ordered 6 dresses on Nordstrom and selected one and returned the others. I’ve never ordered from Neiman Marcus but was impressed with their site when my older d was recently looking for a dress.
Customer care at Nordstrom is great, you can contact them and sort of describe what you are looking for, price range and they can suggest/send you links, almost like a personal shopper which is of course another option. A friend of mine used a personal shopper for her daughters wedding and it was great as she helped my friend and her sister and both of their dresses were outstanding and cleverly picked up on colors from the brides bouquet. That bride bought her dress in Saks.
This dress shopping is really killing me. I feel like I am not being myself in my pursuit to find something that blends in. That’s not really me. I like different. Feminine, but simple. I was trying to avoid black since I am the mother of the groom and don’t want to give anyone reason to think I am “mourning” my son’s marriage or that I don’t like his bride. I think she is amazing and I’m so glad he found her. (He has dated one that I was soooo relieved he broke up with.) That being said, I kind of like this dress. Is it too gaudy? The bridesmaids are wearing burgundy. The wedding is in November. https://www.macys.com/shop/product/jessica-howard-rose-jacquard-sash-gown?ID=5022091&CategoryID=5449#fn=sp%3D1%26spc%3D161%26ruleId%3D22%26slotId%3D38%26kws%3Djessica%20howard%26searchPass%3DexactMultiMatch
@musicmom1215 I like that dress.
Ok…so yesterday I talked to DD. She thinks lavender will look better on me…and will blend in well. So now I’m looking for,the perfect lavender dress…no more pink (well…unless I find the perfect dress in pink). So lavender, maybe a soft lace. No sequins. Short sleeves, or sleeveless. No jacket. No crepe. I’m high waisted…so probably a petite size will fit best.
Love that dress! Not gaudy but screams dance and party.
Awesome dress!!
@musicmom1215 that dress is very pretty and doesn’t scream black.
My only problem is that the dress might clash with the bridesmaids dresses. Are the flowers red or burgundy, they look pink in the picture? I would order the dress and see how it looks with the other dresses.
@musicmom1215: As MOG, I had the same problems. The bride said I could wear anything I wanted. Helpful – not!! I waited until the MOB picked out her dress and then I got something that blends with that. Folks on this thread helpfully pointed out that you want to look good not just on the day but in the pictures for all eternity. So you need to make sure that the dress won’t stand out too much when everyone is all lined up.
Unfortunately, I’m not in love with my MOG dress. (Wedding is 10/7.) The color works with everyone else’s colors, and the style is fine, but the color is quite blah compared to what I usually wear. Nevertheless, I decided to Take One for the Team and blend in with the bride’s and MOB’s colors and choices.
I do love the dress you posted, and I agree that it doesn’t say “black.”
@musicmom1215 gorgeous! Not at all mourning wear.
I love the dress I’m wearing for my S’s wedding. But it’s not me. I’ve never worn a long dress before and I’m not a sequins dressy type of girl. Yup the dress is super embellished and long. But I look good in it and it photographed better than the other dresses I tried on. And it fits the theme of the wedding.
The MOB told me she is wearing a burgundy dress and the bridesmaids dresses are purple. But the color of the bridesmaids dress says its plum but looks very purple to me. The MOB didn’t share with me a picture of the dress or any details. I sent a picture to the bride once I found my dress so I’m assuming the MOB has seen it.
The grandmothers of the groom are both wearing black. It’s so hard to find something that isn’t black.
These decisions are hard.
Question - Do the MOB and MOG both wear the same length dress and the MOB decides?
I don’t think the MOB has found a dress yet. I wish she would hurry up. Everything else that I’ve seen has been navy, but I am afraid that is what the MOB will end up with since it’s so plentiful. I think she plans to wear long. I would be happy with tea length, but that doesn’t seem to be in style right now. Everything is really short or long. Very little in between. And all the long dresses have glitter or sequins or other bling. The wedding style is rustic/western, which is not my style at all. There is another Jessica Howard dress that I like, but it’s skirt is fuller and really says “ballgown.” I tried it on but it was too tight in the shoulders, of all places. As you can tell, I like the A-line silhouette.
https://www.dillards.com/p/Jessica-Howard-VNeck-34-Sleeve-Lace-Taffeta-Ballgown/506661228?googleShop=Y&cm_mmc=GooglePLAs--Category±+MOB±+Shopping--g-_-null&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9KmK3Nmf1gIVxAOGCh21Jg0vEAYYASABEgK5R_D_BwE