Mother of the Bride Hats and Headpieces

Mother of the bride hats and headpieces, made to order in the London atelier and colour matched by hand to your outfit fabric. Every piece is blocked to your own head measurement so it sits still through a long day. Buy a piece ready to wear now or commission your own, which takes one to four weeks from the first conversation.

Read the full mother of the bride hat guide

Choosing a mother of the bride hat

How wide should the brim be against your outfit?

Match the brim to your shoulders rather than to the dress. A brim that finishes level with the outer edge of your shoulders reads balanced in every photograph, and anything wider begins to wear you. With a wide lapel or a strong collar, drop to a percher or a pillbox so the two shapes stop competing.

Which hat colours photograph well?

Clear mid tones hold their colour best. Teal, berry, cobalt, tobacco and soft blue all read true under a marquee and in bright sun. Very pale pastels wash out beside a white dress, and flat black can turn heavy in daylight. White, ivory and cream are left to the bride.

What suits your hair on the day?

Decide the hair before the hat and tell your hairdresser what you are wearing. An updo gives a pillbox or a percher something to sit against and lifts the whole piece. Hair worn down suits a wider brim or a headband, and a low chignon at the nape stops a brim tipping forward.

What works for an indoor ceremony with a low ceiling?

Choose a shallow crown and a narrow brim for a register office, a chapel or any room with a low ceiling. A wide downturned brim is difficult in a pew, in a receiving line and in every hug you will be given. A pillbox, a percher or a headpiece keeps your face open in a crowd.

Hats, headpieces and headbands: which one suits you

What is the difference between a hat, a headpiece and a headband?

A hat has a crown that sits on the head and usually a brim. A headpiece is a smaller sculptural piece fixed with a comb, a band or an elastic, with no full crown. A headband is a band worn across the head and the lightest of the three. Scale and formality fall in that order.

Mother of the bride headwear covers all three, so choose by the venue and by how many hours you will wear it. Headbands and fascinators and headpieces are the lighter end of the same wardrobe.

Which is more formal, a hat or a headpiece?

The hat is the more formal of the two and it remains the traditional choice for the bride's mother at a church wedding or a marquee reception. Mother of the bride headpieces are the modern alternative and read beautifully at a register office, at an evening reception or at a second marriage.

Is a headband formal enough for a wedding?

Yes, provided it is a couture headband in a proper occasion fabric. A hand draped silk or velvet band with real structure holds its own beside morning dress. A thin everyday band does not. Choose a headband when you want your hair to show and when the day runs long.

Made to order for the wedding date

Bring the outfit fabric first. Monika matches colour by hand to a swatch, a photograph or a length of your own cloth, then blocks the shape to suit that outfit. A commission takes one to four weeks from the first conversation to the finished piece.

Sizing is taken from your own head measurement so the piece holds without pins or adjusting. Measure around the head just above the ears and across the widest part at the back. Size and fit walks through it.

Book once the outfit is chosen and the fabric is confirmed, which for most mothers is two to three months before the wedding. If the date is closer than that, send your date and your fabric and Monika will tell you honestly whether it can be made in time.

Questions

What hat should the mother of the bride wear?

A hat that balances your shoulders, photographs cleanly beside the bride and stays comfortable for twelve hours. A brim that turns up keeps your face open in the group shots. A pillbox or a percher suits an indoor ceremony. Leave white, ivory and cream to the bride and match the colour to your own outfit.

Should the mother of the bride wear a hat or a headpiece?

A hat for a church or a marquee, a headpiece for a register office or an evening reception. The hat carries more formality and is still the traditional choice for the bride's mother. A headpiece or a couture headband is lighter across a long day and lets an updo show.

Should the mother of the bride and the mother of the groom coordinate?

Yes, they coordinate. Convention is that the bride's mother chooses first and the groom's mother takes her cue from her, in a different colour family and at a slightly quieter scale. Two hats in the same shade of blue is the thing to avoid, so speak to each other before either of you orders.

Mother of the groom hats and how the two mothers coordinate.

When does the mother of the bride take her hat off?

After the formalities, usually once the wedding breakfast and the speeches are done. Tradition gives the bride's mother the decision, and other women guests keep theirs on until she removes hers. Hats are daytime dress, so anything worn into the evening is a matter of comfort. Men remove theirs indoors.

The full rules are in the guide to wedding hat etiquette.

How far ahead should I order?

Order two to three months before the wedding, once the outfit is chosen and you have the fabric in hand. A commission takes one to four weeks from the first conversation to the finished piece. Ready to wear pieces ship straight away, with UK delivery in five to seven working days.

Can you match a hat to my outfit fabric?

Yes. Colour is matched by hand to a swatch, a photograph or a piece of your own fabric on any commission. Post the fabric or bring it in, and the felt, straw or silk is worked to sit with it. Ready to wear pieces cannot be recoloured, so an exact match means a commission.

Send your fabric and your wedding date or see wedding guest hats for the rest of the party.