Once upon a time, mothers of the bride were expected to wear matronly dresses in Easter-egg pastels or washed out shades of beige. Thankfully, that's in the past. But now that MOBs are free to express their sartorial sensibilities, all of the fashionable choices can be incredibly overwhelming. Talk about spoiled for choice!

Never fear. We asked some bridal pros to give us a few pointers for making the process as seamless as possible. Whether you're a bride who's hoping to help your mom find the perfect look or the materfamilias to the lucky lady herself, we've got the who, what, when, where and how of mother-of-the-bride dress shopping.

If your daughter foregoes the uniform bridesmaid dresses in favor of individual outfits in a similar shade, stick to one or the other. For instance, if she asks her attendants to wear black cocktail dresses, you might want to choose something in silver or grey. Or if her girls are going in cobalt blue, a navy dress would pair perfectly.

It used to be that red Mother of the Bride Gown followed a kind of uniform — a cocktail jacket atop an understated sheath. Today, almost anything goes — so long as it's appropriate for the event. So, while you probably wouldn't wear a strapless dress to a church wedding, it might be just the thing for a beach ceremony. However, you can add a lovely wrap or, yes, even a jacket to that same dress and it instantly becomes chapel appropriate.

Make sure you also take the weather and cultural or religious customs into account when finding your outfit. Whatever kind of wedding it is, you can never go wrong if you these three words come to mind: elegant, understated, and appropriate.

It is customary for the mother of the bride to buy her dress first and to then share her choice with the mother of the groom. The mother of the groom might also need special orders and alterations, so be sure to give her ample time to accomplish this before the wedding. The mothers' dresses don't have to match, but they should complement each other. Remember, you'll be taking lots of pictures together and the only person who should stand out is the bride.

Related reading:vintage mother of bride dress  dresses for bridesmaids