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What to Wear to a Wedding
What to Wear to a Wedding
So, you've got an invitation to a wedding and high on the list of priorities is "what to wear". There's no shortage of advice for the bride, the bridesmaids, even the groom!...but what about the guests? There are daytime weddings, formal, informal and truly casual weddings! While certain rules do apply, and following them can make your decision easier, there's also a certain ease that comes with disregarding the rules. Feel free to base your selection on the situation and your personal taste.
Daytime Wedding
A rule of thumb for day is to dress as you would for any other social event held at the hour and during the season of the wedding. For example, if it's a spring wedding with brunch or lunch, a pretty suit or floral dress would be appropriate for women. Pants are fine for weddings, too -- a pantsuit, tailored trousers, or palazzo pants are comfortable as well as stylish. In the winter, velvet pants with a silk blouse would match the festive tone of a wedding, and velvet works equally well for daytime and evening.
Remember that if the ceremony is at a religious site, you don't want to show too much skin.
The one thing you probably don't want to wear for a daytime wedding is black. Cocktail-type dresses just aren't daywear. White may also be a no-no (see below).
For men, daytime weddings in the spring or summer call for light-colored suits. Options include linen or seersucker. In cooler months, wool suits and darker colors like navy blue and charcoal gray are the way to go.
Evening Wedding
Depending on how formal the wedding, is the dress code is cocktail dresses for women and darker suits for men. Don't wear anything too flashy -- sequins are probably a no-no, unless it's in Vegas -- and remember that if the ceremony is at a religious site, shoulders should be covered.
For an evening wedding, a dress is one of the easiest ways to go. Whereas black used to be taboo for weddings, these days a black dress is perfect for evening nuptials, just as it is for a night at the opera. A black cocktail dress or a long, slim black dress in silk or velvet is perfect at a black-tie wedding.
It's generally not good form for women to wear white to weddings -- in the evening or daytime. In the same vein, try to avoid off-white and ivory, if at all possible. Basically, you just want to make sure you're not stealing the bride's thunder.