Shopping for a mother-of-the-bride dress can sometimes feel just as stressful as finding your daughter’s dream wedding dress. You’ll want something in both a style you love and a fit you feel confident in. Add in a dramatic color like burgundy, and you’ll be ready to hit the dance floor.
“The mother-of-the-bride dress should make a statement—it’s her daughter’s wedding day, so it’s a very important day for her, too,” says bridal stylist Stacy Hamm. “We always hear from moms that they don’t want to upstage the bride, but that isn’t going to happen unless they show up in a white bridal gown.” When it comes to color, deep jewel tones like burgundy can provide the perfect accent, especially if the wedding is being held in the autumn or winter months.
Meet the Expert
Stacy Hamm is a bridal stylist at The Bridal Party showroom at Amsale, a luxury wedding design house based in New York City.
Read on for the best burgundy mother-of-the-bride dresses.
Birdy Grey
We love this jewel-toned chiffon dress for many reasons. It’s style that works with many different body types and the one-shoulder design is a great choice for any season—it reveals enough skin for warmer months, but adds a little more coverage on the décolletage for cooler fall and winter nuptials. The dress also has an incredible size range, which includes plus-size options, making it one of the more inclusive options on our list.
Price at time of publish: $99
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Amazon
You don’t have to sacrifice style for price when it comes to mother of the bride dresses. Case in point: This option from Amazon is under $50, but looks and feels much more expensive. The flowy, three-quarter length sleeves add some softness to offset the tailored design. It’s available in a wide size range, including small through 5X-large. And it’s also a dress you’ll be sure to wear again to future weddings and cocktail parties, so you get more bang for your buck.
Price at time of publish: $34
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Saks Fifth Avenue
Graceful and elegant, this show-stopping Carolina Herrera gown is a great choice for a wedding with a black-tie dress code. The designer dress is constructed from luxurious, 100 percent silk fabric with a matching silk lining. The timeless trumpet silhouette and skirt trails beautifully as you walk down the aisle.
Price at time of publish: $1,238
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Amazon
Whether you’re on a short timeline (hello, Prime shipping) or on a budget, Amazon truly is a great place to shop for mother-of-the-bride dresses online. This v-neck gown features a classic, elegant silhouette, a mid-thigh slit for comfortable movement, and beautiful draping across the chest and waist. It’s made from a blend of polyester and spandex, so it has a nice stretch that adds to the comfort factor.
Price at time of publish: $59
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Azazie
With its short sleeve silhouette and high mesh neckline, this asymmetrical lace dress is moderately conservative, but doesn’t skimp on style. And, while it’s simple in design, the lace and draped a-line skirt add a ton of texture and detail to the overall look. The dress also has some hidden details, including a sweetheart-shaped bodice with padding for extra support and a hidden back zipper on the skirt that makes it easier to slip in and out of.
Price at time of publish: $239
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Nordstrom
This glamorous burgundy gown feels like it was made uniquely for the mother-of-the-bride. Featuring a floral lace detailing that extends from the bodice to the elbow-length sleeves and throughout the skirt, it’s a dress that manages to be both modest and sexy at the same time.
Price at time of publish: $619
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The Dress Outlet
For a drop-dead gorgeous winter gown, we love this long-sleeved fitted design from Dylan & Davids. The dress shows off a deep V-neckline with a mermaid silhouette in a body-hugging, stretch jersey fabric. The asymmetrical draping across the waist and ruching on the bust, along with the sheen of the fabric, offers beautiful dimension. Plus, the neckline is perfect for highlighting a special piece of jewelry.
Price at time of publish: $115
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Park & Fifth
Perfect for summer weather, this sleeveless gown from Park & Fifth feels formal, yet fun. Most importantly—it’s comfortable, even in the heat. It’s made from a matte polyester crepe fabric that’s lightweight and breathable, and the added leg slit will help you move throughout the day with ease.
Price at time of publish: $215
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Baltic Born
Bring on the texture and movement with this embossed maxi dress from Baltic Born. We love this one as a option for spring weddings—the embossed organza material gives off a verdant, botanical feel that’s perfect for the season. Additionally, the dress has a classic wrap design and floaty sleeves that add to the breezy look.
Price at time of publish: $137
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REVOLVE
Here’s the truth: you don’t need to wear a gown to your daughter’s wedding. In fact, a midi dress can be just as elegant. Our top pick for this category is this rich burgundy-colored one-shoulder dress from Normal Kamali. The pull-on dress is made from a stretchy polyester, so it’s super comfortable and has gorgeous shoulder-to- calf ruching, which gives it a nice texture throughout.
Price at time of publish: $215
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David’s Bridal
Show off your shoulders in this stunning gown from Oleg Cassini. This formal dress is designed with a timeless, wrap-style neckline with cascading ruffle detailing on the waistline. It’s made from a polyester and spandex blend so, while it looks incredibly structured, it actually has some nice stretch to it. It’s also fully lined for additional comfort.
Price at time of publish: $180+
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AW Bridal
If a two-piece set is more your mother-of-the-bride style, this Babette Dress from AW Bridal is the way to go. The jacket and dress combination are made from a lightweight chiffon material that drapes effortlessly. Our favorite thing about this set is that it gives you a ton of versatility. You can wear the combo together for a more modest look, but the dress also looks great on its own, thanks to the layered skirt hem and ruched detailing on the waistline.
Price at time of publish: $100
What to Look for in a Mother of the Bride Dress
Comfort
Comfort is key, says Hamm. “It is very important that the mother-of-the-bride feels like she can move in the dress freely,” she says. “It can be the most gorgeous couture dress, but if she’s uncomfortable in it, that’s going to be written all over her face.”
Design
Hamm also recommends focusing on a dress cut that accentuates body type. “It’s important to choose the right cut, silhouette, and fabric that’s going to complement her body and make her feel beautiful,” Hamm explains.
Style
As far as style goes, Hamm encourages moms to step out of their comfort zone. “Many mothers want to downplay their dress to keep the focus on the bride, but you can usually sense that, deep down inside, they secretly want to go for it,” Hamm explains.
FAQ
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Burgundy is a deep, reddish-brown that is sometimes grouped with jewel tones—colors like ruby, emerald, and sapphire. It’s said to be inspired by wine that comes from the Burgundy region of France. “Burgundy is an interesting color—I’ve seen it look close to a deep, dark cabernet, and I’ve also seen it look almost purple with warm red undertones,” says Hamm, adding that a deep ruby can also pass as burgundy.
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“The colors that play well with burgundy really depend on the hue and undertone of your dress,” says Hamm. “If you’re considering a darker, winter burgundy, you can choose complementary colors like rose, emerald or sage green, navy, gold, beige, or champagne—even mauve could be really pretty as a mix-and-match color,” she adds.
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The mother-of-the-bride dress can choose from a range of colors for her dress, but Hamm suggests going with something that’s complementary, yet distinct, from the bridesmaids dresses. She adds that many mothers like to go for classic colors like ruby or navy, or something neutral like gray or champagne.
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According to Hamm, it’s up to the bride. “Most brides don’t want their mom in the same color as the bridesmaids—this traditionally is a no-no,” she explains, adding that some brides might have their mothers in a different shade of their bridesmaid dress colors. “Most brides want their moms to stand out and have their own color, as long as it doesn’t clash with the bridesmaid dresses.”
Why Trust Brides
Contributing writer Jessie Quinn is a bridal-obsessed lifestyle journalist with a bachelor’s degree in fashion journalism. At Brides, she puts a style spin on wedding day fashion and covers everything from sparkling diamond accessories to dance floor-worthy shoes. When researching the best burgundy mother-of-the-bride dresses, Jessie looked at a variety of styles, narrowing her selections down based on the quality of the construction, fit, and sizing across a range of categories. She also looked into options that could be worn again, as well as some more statement-making styles, too.
