From glamorous gowns to simple suits, find out how these five moms found their perfect wedding-day attire.
By: Sharon NaylorBride: Ryan Ann Caputo Guglielmotti
Mom: Regina Caputo
Photo Credit: Vanessa Joy Photography
Wedding Date: November 5, 2011
Wedding Location: Nanina’s in the Park, Belleville New Jersey
Wedding Style: Formal, church ceremony, evening ballroom reception
Wedding Colors: Eggplant purple, ivory, metallic silver, and gold
Fun fact: Ryan and her new husband Eric have known each other since kindergarten, so their wedding was “24 years in the making.”
Bride's wishes for mom's dress: "I wanted my mom to look beautiful; to feel special," said Ryan. "My mom has always put my sister and I first, and I wanted her to have a dress she really loved! I was thinking something formal with some sparkle to make her stand out. When my mom dresses for special events she always looks beautiful, but I wanted her to have a 'wow' factor in this dress. The girls are wearing an eggplant purple, so I did want her to have a color that would complement but, again, stand out and something that would hold its’ own."
Mom's wishes for her dress: “I just wanted a dress that when I looked back at the pictures, years from now, I would still love it!" said Regina. "I want to be able to say 'Wow, what a great dress!' not 'Wow, what was I thinking?!'" Regina wanted a unique dress that would stand out from other dresses she had seen. Originally, she wanted a gold or navy blue dress. "I also wanted a dress that you couldn’t wear anywhere else except your daughter’s wedding!”
How they found "the one": Regina only tried on four dresses before finding the perfect match. “It’s amazing the variety of dresses out there for moms," said Ryan. "Some look like they are made for a 16 year old, and then some look like they are made for 116 year olds. We found one right in the middle."
Once Ryan had a better idea of her mom's comfort zone, she pulled a strapless gown with a modified sweetheart neckline, hand-beaded empire bust line, ruching throughout the mid-section, and an asymetrically dropped waistline in a bold gunmetal color. "It was much more form-fitting than my mom was used to, but the second she put it on, she loved it!" said Ryan.
The skirt features pick-ups and beaded appliqués to match the beading on the bodice. Also, it includes a matching bolero jacket with three-quarter length sleeves appliquéd cuffs. Since the bodice has a lot of beading, Regina didn’t wear a necklace, but she did wear onyx earrings to complement the beading in the dress and the diamond tennis bracelet that she’s had for years.
