Mother of the Groom Hats

Mother of the groom hats and headpieces, made to order in the London atelier in quieter shapes and tonal colour. Convention gives the bride's mother the first choice, so this shelf is cut smaller in the brim and calmer in the colour. Every piece is blocked to your own head measurement. A commission takes one to four weeks.

See also mother of the bride hats and headpieces and the guide to how the two mothers coordinate.

Choosing a mother of the groom hat

How wide should the brim be?

Narrower than the bride's mother, and no wider than your own shoulders. A medium brim photographs well in a group shot without dominating it, and a percher or a pillbox is safer still if her hat is already wide. Ask her what she has chosen before you order anything.

Which colours suit the mother of the groom?

Tonal colours that sit beside the bride's mother without echoing her. Soft green, teal, tobacco, espresso, navy and dusty rose all photograph cleanly through a long day. Leave white, ivory and cream to the bride. If her mother has taken a strong colour, move to a quieter shade or to a clean neutral.

What suits your hair and your outfit?

Decide the hair first, then the piece. An updo gives a pillbox or a percher a firm seat and shows the shape properly. Hair worn down carries a headband or a soft brim. With a strong collar or a wide lapel, keep the headwear small so the outfit and the hat stop competing.

What works for an indoor ceremony?

A shallow crown and a small brim. A register office, a chapel or a low ceilinged room makes a wide downturned brim awkward in a pew and in the receiving line. A pillbox, a percher or a hand draped headband keeps your face open in photographs and stays comfortable when the room is full.

Hats, headpieces and headbands: which one suits you

Does the mother of the groom have to wear a hat?

No. A hat is traditional and a headpiece or a couture headband is entirely correct, particularly at a register office or an evening reception. Mother of the groom headwear only has to read as formal as the rest of the wedding party. Choose by the venue and by how long the day runs.

What is the difference between a headpiece and a headband?

A headpiece is a sculptural piece fixed with a comb or a band, with no full crown, so it reads lighter than a hat and sharper than a hair clip. A headband is a band across the head and the lightest of the three. Both are made here in occasion fabrics with a hat's structure.

Made to order for the wedding date

Order after the bride's mother has settled her outfit, so your colour can be chosen against hers rather than guessed. Monika matches by hand to a swatch, a photograph or a length of your own cloth, then blocks the shape to suit the outfit. A commission takes one to four weeks from the first conversation.

Sizing comes from your own head measurement, so the piece holds all day without pins. Measure around the head just above the ears and across the widest part at the back. Size and fit walks through it.

For most mothers that means starting two to three months before the wedding. If your date is closer, send the date and the fabric and Monika will tell you honestly whether it can be made in time.

Questions

What does the mother of the groom wear on her head?

A hat, a headpiece or a couture headband, in a quieter scale than the bride's mother. Convention is that she takes her cue from the bride's mother, so a smaller brim and a tonal colour. White, ivory and cream belong to the bride. Anything that photographs cleanly in a group shot works.

Should the two mothers match?

No. They coordinate and stay clearly different. The bride's mother chooses first and the groom's mother picks a different colour family at a slightly quieter scale, so the two read as a pair in photographs without looking like a uniform. One phone call before either orders settles it.

Compare the two shelves at mother of the bride hats and headpieces, and read the guide to wedding hat etiquette.

Is a fascinator right for the mother of the groom?

Yes, when it is a proper couture piece. A structured headpiece in silk, felt or straw reads formal enough for any wedding and is lighter to wear across a long day. A small feathered clip from the high street does not carry the same weight beside morning dress. Scale and material decide it.

What colour should the mother of the groom avoid?

White, ivory and cream belong to the bride, so leave all three alone. Avoid the exact shade the bride's mother has chosen as well. Flat black can read severe in daylight photographs, so lift it with colour at a daytime wedding. Stepping away from the bridesmaid palette is worth doing too.

How far ahead should I order?

Order two to three months before the wedding, once the bride's mother has chosen her outfit. 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, on any commission. Colour is matched by hand to a swatch, a photograph or a piece of your own cloth, then 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 and headbands and fascinators.