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A mother-of-the-bride has sparked a debate online after she wore a dress that many claimed resembled a bridal gown.
Though it wasn’t her intention, viewers believed Beverly Norberg might have outdone her daughter Sydney Marie Slavens on her big day. The 28-year-old bride posted a carousel of videos on Instagram from her wedding, sharing sweet moments with her mom before the ceremony.
Slavens, an Orlando-based wedding photographer, donned a sleek, square-neck Ines Di Santo silk dress, while Norberg wore a strapless, baby blue Nadia Manjarrez gown with floral detailing and ruching.
Speaking to Today, Norberg admitted she tried on 30 dresses before she, her husband, her son, and of course, her daughter agreed the taffeta gown was the one. In fact, it was Slavens who had the final say and believed the gown had just the right amount of texture and intrigue for her mom.
The bride told Today: “I’m all about texture.”
As a wedding photographer, Slavens knew the gown would glisten in the photos, complimenting her dress the right amount. More than that, Norberg would be Slavens’ “something blue,” a long-standing wedding ceremony tradition.
Sadly, the internet didn’t approve of Norberg’s dress, with commenters flocking to Slavens’ nuptials post, filling the page with questions about the mother-of-the-bride’s gown. Eventually, Slavens deleted the videos due to the unforeseen hate her mom had received.
According to Today, the viewers insinuated Norberg was trying to upstage her daughter. “It’s gorgeous. But too much. The bride should have the only wow dress,” one person wrote on the now-deleted post. “Mom looks like she’s getting married or going to prom.”
Another added: “Was confused at first? Two brides? I think mom’s gown is a wedding dress. Why though?”
“Too hard to tell who the bride is,” someone else wrote.
Slavens took to Instagram again in a follow-up post, acknowledging the backlash. “Instagram in an uproar over my fabulous momma,” her caption read next to a video compilation of her mom on her wedding day.
This time, viewers praised Norberg’s look. “If it made the entire family happy then THEY made the correct choice. People that did not like it had the option to leave,” one person said.
A second remarked: “I think the mother of the bride chose a beautiful dress that looks perfect on her. And the bride is gorgeous.”
In conversation with Today, Norberg reflected on the old-school construct of having the mother-of-the-bride and the bridesmaids wear an understated dress, so the bride is the focus.
She admitted: “There’s this old-fashioned notion that the mother-of-the-bride needs to look matronly with longer sleeves and covered shoulders, and the whole industry centers around that.”
The Independent has contacted Slavens for a comment.
