A lot of emphasis is placed on the bride's wedding dress and her bridesmaid's gowns, but the mother of the bride can sometimes be overlooked.
Carole Middleton and Katie Couric are just some of the mums who have been pictured looking elegant at their daughters' wedding, wearing everything from billowing embroidered gowns to designer coat dresses. Look back at proud mums Kris Jenner, Princess Anne and more…
The Queen
Queen Elizabeth II turned to her wedding dress designer Norman Hartnell for her outfit to Princess Anne's first wedding. As she witnessed Anne marry Captain Mark Phillips, the monarch stood out in a royal blue coat dress with a structured collar and diamond-shaped buttons, adding a hat with intricate lace detailing from the same designer.
Katie Couric
Katie Couric wowed in a pink Marchesa frock at her daughter Ellie Monahan’s wedding in July 2021. It featured a billowing floor-length skirt with an asymmetrical hem, delicately embroidered green and white flowers and pockets. "A huge thank you to @GeorginaChapmanMarchesa and her wonderful team for making this dress for me. I [love] it," she captioned the Instagram photo.
Doria Ragland
The Duchess of Sussex’s mum Doria Ragland was a vision in green at the royal wedding in May. Her Oscar de la Renta ensemble consisted of a knee-length embroidered dress with a matching coat, nude heels and a coordinating hat.
SHOP: Best mother of the bride dresses for a 2023 wedding - plus advice on what NOT to wear
MORE: Royals who married more than once: From Meghan Markle to Princess Anne
Hillary Clinton
Hillary Clinton shunned traditional pastels for something a little brighter at the wedding of her daughter Chelsea Clinton in 2010. The former First Lady donned a plum ombré Oscar de la Renta gown with floral embellishment and ruched detailing across the shoulders.
Queen Camilla
When her daughter Laura Lopes married Harry Lopes in May 2006, Queen Camilla embraced the spring weather in a pretty pastel green outfit. She was pictured walking out of St Cyriac's Church in a coat dress with a pleated knee-length skirt, which she layered over a white dress. The royal added a string of pearls around her neck, grey heels and a green hair accessory.
Princess Anne
While all eyes were on Zara Tindall during her royal wedding with Mike Tindall on 30 July 2011, her mother Princess Anne also looked beautiful in a peach dress with a pleated skirt, a cream and pink embroidered jacket and an elaborate lace and flower detail fascinator.
You may also like
Carole Middleton
It was one of the most hotly-anticipated weddings of modern times, so it’s no wonder the Duchess of Cambridge’s mum Carole Middleton pulled out all the stops for her mother of the bride outfit at the royal wedding in 2011. Carole looked elegant in a sky blue Catherine Walker coat and dress with a matching hat, which was perfectly suited to the spring wedding.
Carole Middleton
Catherine Walker was once again the designer of choice for Carole at the nuptials of her youngest daughter Pippa Middleton in 2017. On this occasion, the mother-of-three wore a pretty pink coat dress and matching hat, with nude court shoes and a clutch bag. A failsafe mother-of-the-bride look.
Tish Cyrus
Miley Cyrus’ mum Tish wore not one but two outfits for her daughter’s low-key nuptials with Liam Hemsworth in December. While she was originally dressed up what appeared to be a long-sleeved velvet jumpsuit, she could later be seen in a casual black jumper and light wash jeans after changing into something a little more comfortable.
Sarah Ferguson
Sarah, Duchess of York turned heads at Princess Eugenie’s wedding in an emerald green dress from local Windsor designer, Emma Green Design. A matching Jess Collet hat with applique gold detail added to the bold look, while a Manolo Blahnik clutch bag that once belonged to her mother Susan Barrantes provided a sweet sentimental touch.
Madhu Chopra
Priyanka Chopra's mother Madhu walked her down the aisle when she wed Nick Jonas in 2018. She wore a sky blue Ralph Lauren midi dress, with a chiffon scarf wrapped over her shoulders, and matching shoes.
Judy Murray
Mother of the groom Judy Murray looked sophisticated in a neutral ensemble by Joyce Young OBE for the wedding of Andy Murray and his long-term girlfriend Kim Sears in 2015. The outfit consisted of a taupe embroidered gown with a cream coat, nude heels and a complementing hat.
Suzie Wells
The Mummy Diaries star Billie Faiers tied the knot with Greg Shepherd at a lavish destination wedding in 2019, and mum Suzie looked amazing in an embellished white gown with skinny straps and a plunging V-neck.
Kris Jenner
Kim Kardashian's mother Kris Jenner opted for a chic white long-sleeved gown with a low V-neck when her daughter tied the knot with Kanye West in 2014. The frock tied in perfectly with the rest of Kim's bridal party, with sisters Kourtney, Khloe, Kendall and Kylie all wearing similar bridal white gowns.
Kathy Hilton
Nicky Hilton’s mum wore a dress that complemented the colour of the bridesmaids’ dresses for her youngest daughter’s wedding in 2015. Her pale blue floor-length dress worked well with the chiffon gowns worn by the bridesmaids – including Paris Hilton – with the intricate 3D embellishment and A-line fit ensuring it didn’t look too similar.
Tina Knowles
Solange Knowles’ wedding was a stylish affair, with all of the guests dressed in head-to-toe white. Mother of the bride Tina wore a figure-hugging long-sleeved ivory dress with a gold choker and bangles.
MORE: Royal father of the brides: Princess Eugenie, Princess Diana and more's doting dads