Shopping for a mother-of-the-bride or mother-of-the-groom dress online should be fun. Unfortunately, it can also feel a little like walking through a minefield.
I learned that firsthand while shopping for my own mother-of-the-groom dress. There were beautiful gowns everywhere I looked, but there were also unfamiliar websites, copied-looking photos, enormous discounts, and stores I had never heard of. When you’re spending hundreds of dollars on a dress for one of your family’s biggest days, “I hope this website is real” is not a feeling you want at checkout.
I ultimately bought my mother-of-the-groom dress from Alex Evenings, and that experience changed the way I wanted to approach this guide.
Instead of giving you a long list of stores simply because they sell formal dresses, I’ve narrowed this guide to established retailers and official designer websites that I could verify before recommending them to you.
If you want the short answer: start with Alex Evenings, Nordstrom, Macy’s, Dillard’s, Adrianna Papell, Azazie, or Anthropologie Weddings. They each fill a slightly different need, which I’ll explain below.
And before you order from any unfamiliar website you find through Google, Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok, I’ll show you the same checks I now use to decide whether an online dress store deserves my credit card number.
Jump to the trusted stores | Compare stores | How to spot a risky dress website | Frequently asked questions
Where to Buy Mother-of-the-Bride and Mother-of-the-Groom Dresses Online
The best store depends on what matters most to you. Some women need petite sizing. Some want sleeves. Some need a true plus-size selection rather than a handful of extended sizes. Others want to order several dresses, try them at home, and send back everything except the winner.
I also think return policies matter enormously for special-occasion clothing. A dress can look spectacular on a model and completely different once it’s hanging in your own bedroom.
Quick Comparison: Trusted Mother-of-the-Bride Dress Stores
| Store | Best For | Why It Made My List |
|---|---|---|
| Alex Evenings | Classic formal styles and my personal pick | Official designer site with petite, regular and plus options |
| Nordstrom | Best overall variety | Established retailer, multiple formalwear designers and convenient returns |
| Macy’s | Sales and broad selection | Large mother-of-the-bride/groom department with familiar formalwear brands |
| Dillard’s | Traditional formalwear | Dedicated mother-of-the-bride/groom selection with petite and plus filters |
| Adrianna Papell | Embellished and elegant gowns | Official designer site with a dedicated mother-of-the-bride/groom collection |
| Azazie | Trying dresses at home | Wedding-focused retailer with an at-home try-on program |
| Anthropologie Weddings | Modern and less traditional looks | Established retailer with a dedicated wedding and mother-of-the-bride edit |
Shopping policies, inventory and return terms can change. I verified the retailers and information in this guide in August 2026, but always read the current return and final-sale policies before placing your order.
1. Alex Evenings: My Personal Mother-of-the-Groom Pick
Alex Evenings gets the first spot for a very simple reason: this is where I bought my own mother-of-the-groom dress.
After seeing so many websites I wasn’t comfortable ordering from, there was something reassuring about shopping an established special-occasion brand and being able to see exactly who made the dress I was considering.
Alex Evenings specializes in occasionwear rather than trying to be everything to everyone. Its mother-of-the-bride and mother-of-the-groom collection includes long gowns, tea-length dresses, jacket dresses and other formal styles, with petite, regular and plus-size options.
I especially like this option for women who want a polished, elegant dress without feeling as though they are trying to dress like a bridesmaid—or like someone twenty years younger.
Best for: traditional and elegant mother-of-the-bride or mother-of-the-groom dresses, petite shoppers, plus-size shoppers, sleeves, jackets and formal evening styles.
Why I trust it: I purchased my own dress from the brand, the company has an identifiable official website, published customer-service information and a clearly stated return policy.
One thing to check: Alex Evenings sells through several department stores as well as its own website. If you find the same dress somewhere else, compare the retailer’s return policy and price before ordering.
2. Nordstrom: Best Overall Place to Start
If you don’t know exactly which designer you want yet, Nordstrom’s mother-of-the-bride and mother-of-the-groom department is one of the easiest places to begin.
Instead of committing to one dress brand, you can compare multiple designers, silhouettes, colors, price points and levels of formality in one place.
That matters when you’re still figuring out whether you prefer beading or clean lines, a full-length gown or a midi, sleeves or sleeveless, understated or glamorous.
Nordstrom also has dedicated plus-size mother-of-the-bride and mother-of-the-groom options, making it easier to narrow the results instead of digging through hundreds of dresses that aren’t available in your size.
Best for: shoppers who want lots of established brands in one place, designer comparison shopping, plus sizing and a straightforward return process.
Why I trust it: it is a major established department-store retailer with published customer-service and return information and both online and physical retail presence.
3. Macy’s: Best for Selection, Familiar Brands and Sale Shopping
Macy’s is another retailer I would check early, particularly if you want to compare formalwear brands without visiting a dozen websites.
Its mother-of-the-bride and mother-of-the-groom section carries designers such as Alex Evenings alongside numerous other formal and eveningwear brands.
Macy’s is particularly useful if you’re price-conscious because the site frequently has sale and clearance inventory mixed with current full-price styles. Just be careful with the final-sale designation before assuming you can return a bargain.
The retailer also carries petite Alex Evenings styles and plus-size Alex Evenings dresses, which can make searching much easier if you already know you like the brand.
Best for: sale shopping, well-known formalwear brands, petites, plus sizes and shoppers who prefer a familiar national retailer.
Why I trust it: Macy’s has a published online return center and established customer-service channels, and you can often return eligible online purchases through a physical Macy’s location.
4. Dillard’s: Best for Classic Mother-of-the-Bride Formalwear
Dillard’s deserves a place on this list because it still treats mother-of-the-bride and mother-of-the-groom attire as its own shopping category rather than making you search through every formal dress on the site.
You can filter its collection by standard, petite and plus fit, which is especially helpful when you’re shopping for an event with a deadline and don’t want to fall in love with something that was never made in your size.
The assortment tends to work particularly well for women looking for traditional formalwear: long gowns, lace, beading, sleeves, jackets and sophisticated silhouettes.
Best for: classic formal dresses, petite and plus sizing, mothers who prefer a more traditional eveningwear aesthetic.
Why I trust it: Dillard’s is an established department-store retailer with a dedicated wedding shop, published contact information and an online return policy.
Know before ordering: Dillard’s currently states that eligible Dillards.com merchandise should generally be returned within 30 calendar days of purchase, so don’t order dresses months apart and assume you’ll be able to compare them later.
5. Adrianna Papell: Best for Beading, Embellishment and Special-Occasion Details
If you’re picturing something with beautiful beadwork, embroidery, chiffon, sequins or elevated eveningwear details, browse the official Adrianna Papell mother-of-the-bride and mother-of-the-groom collection.
The brand carries everything from floor-length formal gowns to cocktail-length and midi dresses, which makes it useful whether the wedding is black tie, formal, semi-formal or somewhere in between.
It also has dedicated plus-size mother-of-the-bride options rather than treating extended sizing as an afterthought.
Best for: sophisticated evening gowns, beadwork, elegant embellishment, chiffon and special-occasion dresses that feel celebratory.
Why I trust it: this is the designer’s official website with clearly published customer-service, return and exchange policies.
Know before ordering: final-sale merchandise can have different rules. Read the product page and return terms before removing tags or scheduling alterations.
6. Azazie: Best for Trying Mother-of-the-Bride Dresses at Home
One problem with buying a formal dress online is that you often have to buy the dress before you really know whether the cut works on your body.
Azazie’s at-home try-on program makes it an interesting alternative. The company offers mother-of-the-bride and mother-of-the-groom sample dresses that can be tried at home before you commit to the final dress.
This is especially useful if you live far from large department stores or simply prefer trying dresses with your own shoes, shapewear and jewelry instead of under fitting-room lights.
Best for: at-home try-ons, wedding-specific colors and women who want to experiment with several silhouettes before deciding.
Why I included it: Azazie has an established wedding-focused retail operation, a published return process and a clearly explained try-on program.
Important: standard-size and custom-size orders may have different return eligibility. In particular, custom sizing can carry restrictions, so read the current policy before choosing customization.
7. Anthropologie Weddings: Best for a More Modern Mother-of-the-Bride Look
Not every mother wants lace sleeves, sequins or a traditional jacket dress. If your personal style leans more modern, romantic, minimalist or fashion-forward, take a look at Anthropologie Weddings.
The retailer has a dedicated mother-of-the-bride and mother-of-the-groom collection within its wedding shop, along with wedding guest attire and accessories.
This is a particularly good place to look if you want your outfit to feel like your style rather than a dress you selected only because the label said “mother of the bride.”
Best for: contemporary weddings, garden weddings, less traditional mothers, midi dresses and fashion-forward silhouettes.
Why I trust it: Anthropologie is an established national retailer with a dedicated wedding business and physical stores as well as its online storefront.
What About Amazon, eBay and Unfamiliar Bridal Websites?
I intentionally removed Amazon and eBay from my primary recommendations in this updated guide.
That doesn’t mean no good mother-of-the-bride dresses are sold there. The issue is that a marketplace is not the same thing as buying directly from one identified designer or retailer. Individual sellers, return terms, photographs, sizing and merchandise quality can vary considerably.
For an inexpensive everyday item, I may be willing to take more of a chance. For a dress I’m wearing to my child’s wedding, I want to know exactly who is selling it, exactly what the return rules are, and exactly who I contact if something goes wrong.
The same goes for unfamiliar bridal websites appearing in ads. A polished website and beautiful photographs are not enough to convince me anymore.
How to Tell if an Online Mother-of-the-Bride Dress Store Is Legitimate
The Federal Trade Commission recommends researching sellers before buying online, checking refund and delivery policies, reading reviews critically and searching the company name along with words such as “complaint” or “scam.”
Those are particularly good habits when shopping for formal dresses because scammers can create convincing websites, copy product photographs and even imitate real brands.
1. Start With the Exact Website Address
If you are looking for a particular designer, search for the designer’s official site instead of clicking the first social-media ad showing the dress.
Scammers can create domains that look surprisingly similar to a legitimate brand name. A secure HTTPS connection is important for protecting information in transit, but the FTC warns that HTTPS by itself does not prove a website is legitimate.
2. Look for a Real Return Policy Before You Shop
Do this before you find a dress you love.
You should be able to determine how many days you have to return the dress, whether sale items are returnable, who pays return shipping and whether a restocking fee applies.
If a store makes its return rules nearly impossible to find, that’s enough to make me keep shopping somewhere else.
3. Look for Real Customer-Service Information
A legitimate retailer should give you a way to contact it when something goes wrong.
Look for a customer-service page, contact information, return instructions and an identifiable business name. I become cautious when the only contact method is an anonymous form or an email address that doesn’t match the store.
4. Don’t Trust the Star Rating Alone
This is one reason I removed the numerical retailer ratings from the old version of this article.
The FTC specifically cautions shoppers not to rely solely on star ratings because online reviews and ratings can be fake or misleading.
Read actual reviews. Check more than one source. Look at recent reviews as well as older ones, and pay attention to repeated complaints about receiving a different dress, impossible returns or orders that never arrive.
5. Be Suspicious of a Designer Gown at an Impossible Price
A sale is one thing. A brand-new $300 or $500 gown suddenly appearing on an unfamiliar website for $39.95 is another.
When the price is dramatically lower than every established retailer selling the same dress, investigate before buying.
6. Pay by Credit Card When Possible
The FTC recommends using a credit card for online purchases when possible because credit-card protections can give you additional options for disputing a charge if merchandise never arrives or something goes seriously wrong.
Be extremely cautious of a retailer that insists you pay only by gift card, wire transfer, cryptocurrency or another payment method that is difficult to reverse.
7. Keep Your Receipts and Screenshots
Save your order confirmation, the product page, promised delivery date and the return policy that was displayed when you ordered.
Wedding shopping has enough deadlines already. You don’t want to reconstruct the details from memory if your dress doesn’t arrive when promised.
For more guidance, see the Federal Trade Commission’s online shopping safety advice.
How Far in Advance Should Mom Buy Her Dress?
Don’t wait until the final few weeks if you can avoid it.
You want enough time to order the dress, try it with your shoes and undergarments, exchange it if necessary and have alterations completed without turning the process into an emergency.
I would rather have the dress hanging safely in the closet earlier than spend the month before the wedding refreshing a tracking page.
At the same time, pay attention to return windows. If you plan to order several dresses and compare them, order them close enough together that you can make your decision while all eligible pieces are still returnable.
What Should the Mother of the Bride or Groom Wear?
There is much more freedom now than there used to be.
A floor-length gown can be beautiful for a black-tie or formal evening wedding, while a midi, tea-length dress, sophisticated cocktail dress or even an elegant jumpsuit can work for other dress codes.
The goal isn’t to disappear into the background, and it isn’t to compete with the wedding party. You want an outfit appropriate for the formality, venue and season that also feels like you.
Talk with the couple before you buy. Ask about the dress code and wedding colors and whether there are any shades they’d prefer you to choose or avoid.
If you’re considering chiffon for a spring or summer wedding, you may also like my guide to choosing chiffon dresses for different occasions.
Mother of the Bride vs. Mother of the Groom: Do the Rules Differ?
Not nearly as much as some old etiquette guides would have you believe.
Both mothers should dress for the same overall level of formality and coordinate with the couple’s plans. They don’t have to match one another, and neither woman needs to surrender her personal style.
Communication is far more useful than rigid rules. If you’re unsure, ask the bride or couple what they envision before placing an expensive order.
Frequently Asked Questions About Buying Mother-of-the-Bride Dresses Online
What are the safest websites for mother-of-the-bride dresses?
I prefer shopping directly from an established designer’s official website or from a major retailer with a clear return policy and identifiable customer-service department. Alex Evenings, Nordstrom, Macy’s, Dillard’s, Adrianna Papell, Azazie and Anthropologie Weddings are the retailers I would start with.
Where did you buy your mother-of-the-groom dress?
I bought my own mother-of-the-groom dress from Alex Evenings. That firsthand shopping experience is one of the reasons I included the brand at the top of this updated guide.
Where can I buy a petite mother-of-the-bride dress online?
Alex Evenings offers a dedicated petite collection, while Macy’s, Dillard’s and other department stores also allow shoppers to filter many formal dresses by petite sizing. Check the measurements for the individual dress rather than relying only on the size number.
Where can I find plus-size mother-of-the-bride dresses?
Nordstrom, Macy’s, Dillard’s, Alex Evenings and Adrianna Papell all currently offer plus-size mother-of-the-bride or special-occasion options. Inventory changes, so filtering by your size first can save a lot of frustration.
Is it safe to buy a mother-of-the-bride dress from a Facebook or Instagram ad?
Don’t judge the store by the ad alone. Go directly to the retailer’s website, verify the exact domain, look for contact and return information, and independently search the company name with terms such as “reviews,” “complaints” and “scam” before ordering.
Can the mother of the groom wear the same stores and designers as the mother of the bride?
Absolutely. Most retailers now group mother-of-the-bride and mother-of-the-groom dresses together because the appropriate level of formality, fabrics and silhouettes overlap considerably.
Should the mother of the bride wear a long dress?
Not necessarily. Dress length should reflect the wedding’s dress code, time of day, venue and the mother’s personal style. Long gowns remain a natural choice for formal and black-tie weddings, while midi and tea-length dresses can be beautiful for cocktail, daytime and semi-formal celebrations.
Should I order more than one dress?
If the retailer’s return policy allows it, ordering two or three finalists can make online shopping much easier. Try each one with the shoes and undergarments you expect to wear and move around in it—not just stand in front of the mirror. Then return the others promptly while they remain eligible.
My Bottom Line
After shopping for my own mother-of-the-groom dress, I understand why women are nervous about buying such an important outfit online.
There are plenty of legitimate places to shop. There are also websites I wouldn’t trust with an important wedding purchase just because the photos are pretty and the price is tempting.
That’s why this list is intentionally shorter.
I would rather give you seven places I can verify than fifty websites I know nothing about.
Start with an established retailer or the official website of a designer you recognize. Read the return policy before ordering. Give yourself enough time for exchanges and alterations. And if an unfamiliar website makes you hesitate, listen to that hesitation and investigate before giving it your payment information.
Your child’s wedding will give you enough things to think about. Whether your title that day is mother of the bride or mother of the groom, wondering whether your dress is actually going to arrive should not be one of them.