The rule designer Alvaro Poidel states for godmothers and mothers of the bride is more interesting than any single garment: comfort shows from the outside. If a woman does not feel secure in the dress, it reads in how she holds herself all evening, no matter what the dress cost. And a second piece of advice, almost heretical for a fashion desk - do not follow too closely what social media dictates.

The protocol he sets out is more specific than most people think. The long dress is reserved for the godmother, especially when a mantilla is worn, and that holds for both a morning and an afternoon wedding. The mother of the bride goes for midi length. French sleeves are the first choice for both roles - they give the most confidence.

On colour, the line splits. "Monochrome looks work very well for godmothers," Poidel says, while mothers of the bride more often take a risk by combining colours and textures. That is a distinction barely recognised here - at a Macedonian wedding both roles usually fall into the same "formal" category, so everything ends up in the same shop window.

Designer Cristina Valenzuela carries the story through the materials: crepe, bombazine, silk georgette, jacquard, linen and natural rustic silks. These are not names for showing off - these are fabrics that hold their shape and move properly when a person sits, stands and dances for hours.

Her closing sentence is also the best reason this is a subject at all: dressing a godmother or a mother of the bride means "accompanying her on one of the most important days of her life. The design has to match that emotion." Here a wedding is a serious matter with months of preparation, and yet the woman standing closest to the bride is the one who gets the least attention.