Why your offspring's wedding shouldn't become judgement day

The judgmental eyes and whispered comments of wedding guests are probably what send mothers into a panic about what to wear, says Anouska Semp-Cooper, of the Avorio Studio 0.1 salon.

"Mums are only too well aware that, after the bride and groom, all eyes will be on them," says Anouska.

"Guest do judge who is the best-dressed mum, which is not really fair. Even worse, they feel quite happy about passing comment about the appropriateness of an outfit, or whether someone got their accessories right or not.

"I feel very sorry for mums who feel un-nerved at the thought of going through all of that. Even without it, choosing an outfit is stressful enough. It is probably going to be far more dressy and expensive than they would normally go for. And then there's the belief that every last accessory has to be a perfect match."

A former Sheffield University senior HR advisor, Anouska launched the West One Plaza studio in December after celebrating her own wedding and "falling in love with the whole bridal industry."

She sees countless mums and soon-to-be mothers-in-law as she helps brides and bridemaids find their dream gowns. And her sympathy for their wedding day dilemmas is such that she is now considering branching out into outfits especially for them.

"I'm constantly asked where mums can get special outfits from," says Anouska. "Often my brides' mums aren't happy with wearing what is traditionally expected of them. My own mum fell into that category. She is a very stylish and 'young' mum who is really interested in fashion. She has never been traditional in dress, so her outfit was always going to have to be special. After many shopping trips, we found the perfect dress - in silver-blue silk - in Harrods."

Anouska also plans to run a style workshop with a top celebrity stylist at Avorio later in the year.

Image consultant Bradley Taylor, who started his career at Harvey Nichols in Leeds, has styled many a glamorous actress - including Catherine Zeta Jones and Liv Tyler - plus the stars of TV and music.