The most frequently asked question by a Mother of the Bride is "What color should I wear?" Choosing the right color is stressful and scary. There are many things that need to be taken into consideration such as the time of year, the formality of the event, how the color photographs, the color of the bridesmaids dresses and the color of the wedding flowers, not to mention what looks good on you. How can you be certain that you are choosing the right color?

Etiquette dictates you should probably stay away from white or ivory (you don't want anyone to think you are trying to steal attention away from the bride!), but other than that, there aren't any right or wrong colors to wear to a wedding. Even "taboo" colors like black and red have their place. Black may be the only plausible option for a popular black-and-white themed wedding, and red can be a beautiful shade in the fall and winter. As long as the color complements the wedding colors, you're o.k.

The easiest way to get it right is to choose a Mother of the Bride dress in a color that coordinates with the color of the bridesmaids' dresses. Notice we are saying coordinates, not matches. Matching is far too difficult to pull off. Why? Because, if the shade of peach you pick to match with the bridesmaids' dresses ends up being just a little more orange, you'll clash completely! Besides, who wants to end up looking like one of the bridesmaids, anyway?

Here are 5 tips for deciding what color to wear when you are Mother of the Bride:

1) Monotone

One option is to wear a mother of the bride dress in the same general color family as the bridesmaids. This is a classy way to coordinate, but still be a little different. For example, if the bridesmaids are in lavender, the Mother of the Bride is in eggplant.

2) Contrast

Another idea is to choose a Mother of the Bride dress in a color that is directly opposite on the color wheel to the bridesmaids' dresses. You'll definitely stand out, but the bridesmaids will still look great next to you in pictures. For example, the bridesmaids might be in orange and the Mother of the Bride in blue.

3) Tonal

You could also wear a color in the same color palette as the bridesmaids' dresses. For a seasonally themed wedding, this can nicely pick up different aspects of the season, and look very classy. Bridesmaids may be in pastel blue and mom can be in soft, butter yellow.

4) Pattern

Wear a patterned Mother of the Bride dress with a color in it that echoes the bridal colors. This adds some personality to the bridal party and pictures. For instance, if the bridesmaids wear pink, the mother of the bride can be in pink and green watercolor wash.

5) Neutral

When in doubt, neutrals go with everything! Just be careful to get a more saturated color so it doesn't wash you out. For example, if the bridesmaids are in chartreuse with magenta sashes and fuchsia bouquets, the Mother of the Bride can still wear a dark, silvery gray.

Of course, you can always take the bride with you for a second opinion! She will certainly have a vision in mind as to how she wants her day to look, and will probably be the best person to go to for advice. With this in mind, picking out a color to go with the bridal party will be a cinch. Now what about the style? We have many more tips to make sure you look fabulous and appropriate at your daughter or son's wedding. Check out our new eBook, TWEAK YOUR CHIC: MOTHER OF THE BRIDE at www.fabulousafter40.com today!

Deborah Boland and JoJami Tyler (The Glam Gals) are Image and Style Experts specializing in helping women 40 plus look and feel fabulous. They are the authors of the book, The Glam Plan~ 12 Simple Steps to Take You from Frumpy to Fabulous & Tweak Your Chic- Dressing the Mother of the Bride, as well as coaches for their Tweak Your Chic™, Image make-over program. For more style tips visit: www.fabulousafter40.com and sign up for their bi-weekly newsletter. You can also contact them at: info@fabulousafter40.com