Mother of the groom dress?

Here is the applicable etiquette: The mother of the groom should consult the mother of the bride before purchasing a dress. The mother of the bride has first choice of color. The mother of the groom's dress should complement and not clash with the dress of the mother of the bride. In no case should she wear a dress that is the color of the bridal or bridesmaids' gowns.

Her dress or suit should be age appropriate.

Both mothers should remember that this is the bride's special day.
 
Modesty, formal-wear, and a complimentary hue.

Modesty and formal are self-explanatory.

The color should compliment the bridesmaid's colors, but NOT be an exact match (she's not a bridesmaid!) An off-shade of that color or a neutral color is ideal. For example, if the bridemaids dresses were a Cornflower blue, some possible choices for a Mother's dress could be a navy blue, smokey blue, or a neutral color like beige. The idea is, you don't want your mother's choice of color to be distracting in the photographs.

My friend's mom made this mistake, and every time I look at her family wedding photograph, the first thing that pops out at me in the magenta dress, instead of the Bride and Groom.
 
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