At such a wonderful wedding party, except those necessary protocols, special occasion dress for moms also has its own protocol.

It's customary for the mother of the bride to purchase her dress first. Her choice is meant to subtly dictate mother of the groom dress. However, this approach can be a little old-fashioned, not to mention a little unrealistic. There's always some factor that make abiding by tradition a lost cause. Our advice: Just play it by ear, and try to be flexible. It's not a competition of who will wear the most pleasant cocktail dress. Most would advise the MOB to avoid dresses in the white, ivory, and champagne color family.