How To Find The Right Wedding Guest Look
It’s wedding season! If you will be attending a wedding (or more than one) this season, you’ll want to find just the right wedding guest look. Let’s go over some options on how to choose an outfit that will make you look and feel great at the wedding.
Who is Getting Married?
Who’s getting married and how casual their wedding will likely be are good places to start when choosing a wedding guest look. Will this be a formal wedding? A casual one? Will there be a bride and groom, two grooms, or two brides? Is this your friend, the strictly indoor fashionista, or the one whom you go camping with each year?
What is the Wedding Venue?
The wedding venue will give you some great clues about how to stay stylish and comfy at the wedding. Is this a beach wedding? Skip the heels. The cathedral downtown after 6 pm? Perhaps a special occasion dress would look lovely. A courthouse wedding with an intimate restaurant reception? A classic fit and flare dress might feel just right. The clubhouse after nine holes of golf? That new women’s polo shirt and shorts could be just the ticket.
Will there be dancing at the reception? If so, (and if you like to dance!) make sure that your outfit is built to move. Something stretchy or flowy is a good choice. Palazzo pants and a dressy tunic top can be a great combination. Not only will an outfit like this move with you, but you won’t have to wonder if “all of your bases are covered” when you bend over.
Will There Be “Weather”?
If the wedding or reception is scheduled to be outdoors, take a little extra care in what you wear. Consider carrying a purse that will handle a fold-up umbrella. There’s no need to bring a tote bag to a formal wedding, but a clutch purse with a bit of room could be handy for either an umbrella or maybe a fold-up rain poncho. You may still want to wear those strappy sandals but be aware that you might need to take them off to run through a sudden shower.
For cool evenings or colder climates, consider women’s cardigans or shawls as an option. Even with the dressiest of dresses, a little something over your shoulders can look sophisticated and keep you comfy at the same time.
How Many People Will You Know at the Wedding?
There are few hard and fast rules for weddings these days, but the fewer people you are likely to know at the wedding, the more conservative you might want to consider dressing. Especially if you will run into people with whom you work or potential business associates, you might want to consider this “not purely” a social occasion.
Neutral colors are always good choices. It used to be that wearing either white or black to a wedding (unless you were in the wedding party) was rarely appropriate, but this is changing. Some weddings have a dress code for guests like all the extended family wears white. Especially for an evening wedding, a black dress and heels might be a great option. If you are in doubt, ask a member of the wedding party if they think it would be appropriate.
To Wear Heels or Not to Wear Heels?