Dresses to wear to a
wedding
What to wear to a wedding
Weddings are a really special time and they are usually a time when everyone makes an effort to look fantastic. Obviously, if you are going to a wedding as a guest then it’s vital that you don’t wear anything inappropriate or that might upstage the bride on her big day, but there are still lots of types of dresses to wear to a wedding. Read on to find out more about some dress ideas and factors you might need to take into consideration when making your choice.
One factor you’ll definitely need to consider when deciding what to wear at a wedding is the weather. It might sound obvious, but it is definitely worth making sure your chosen dress or other outfit is appropriate for the season. For instance, a little sundress and strappy heels aren’t going to be great for a winter wedding, and lots of layers probably wouldn’t be ideal for an event at the height of summer.
There are certain weather factors it can be hard to predict when choosing your dress to wear to a wedding, such as the rain. One option would be to go for a dress that won’t show up spots of rain too much, or to make sure you have a jacket and umbrella that go with your dress if it does happen to rain on the big day.
Arguably, finding dresses to wear to a wedding in summer is easier than finding something suitable for winter. After all, for a summer wedding you won’t have to worry so much about keeping warm and can instead focus entirely on style. One thing to steer clear of, no matter what the weather, is white: tradition dictates that only the bride should wear white on the wedding day, so it’s a good idea to keep this in mind when making your choice. Fabrics such as linen, silk, satin and cotton are all good options for the material of your dress, and you can choose which you want depending on your preferences and the style of the day.
For instance, some weddings are more formal than others: if you are going to a formal wedding where everyone is encouraged to dress smartly, a silk or satin dress in a subtle colour that suits you could be a great option. Cotton or linen could be really good for a slightly more casual wedding, depending on the style of the dress you choose.
Something else to think about when deciding what to wear to a wedding is where the wedding is actually going to take place. For instance, if the bride and groom have gone for a beach wedding, you might want to choose a dress that is light and suitable for beach wear. If they’re getting married in an exotic location, you could also choose to reflect that fact in your choice of dress – after all, bright colours and big prints will look far more appropriate on the beach than they would at a sober church wedding. Halternecks are a great dress choice for beach weddings; teamed with flowers in your hair and a pair of delicate sandals, you’re sure to look fantastic.
Your choice of dress to wear to a wedding might also depend on whether the couple in question are getting married in a church, register office, hotel, park or somewhere else entirely. For example, if the wedding is outdoors, you might want to go for a dress that will stay put no matter how windy it gets, as well as one that perhaps has a good lining in case it’s a bit chilly outside. Some locations are also more formal than others, so knowing where the ceremony is going to be held can help your choice of dress.
The culture of the bride and groom could also play a part in your choice of dress to wear to a wedding. Some cultures, for instance, have specific outfits that are worn for weddings, in which case this will help to inform your choice. Other cultures might be more relaxed about what you wear, but if you know the bride or groom has either a style preference or types of dress they’d rather you avoid (some people might expect more modesty, for example), it can be a good idea to take this into account.
Of course, you also need to take into account the rest of your outfit when deciding what to wear to a wedding. You’ll need to make sure your dress goes with your shoes, hair, make-up, accessories and jacket. It can be a good idea to start with your dress so you can build the rest of your outfit around it, but choosing a dress that can go with a range of items is a practical option. For instance, a relatively simple dress that can be teemed with a variety of pairs of shoes and that would be suitable for either summer or winter could potentially give you much more wear – and better value for money – than an intricate dress that you might only be able to wear once.
Making sure your outfit coordinates is especially important for winter weddings, when there are more layers to consider. For example, does your dress go with your jacket? Will you be able to remove some layers if you get hot later in the day? It can also help to check that you can dance in your choice of dress to wear to a wedding; most wedding receptions involve a DJ or some other form of music, so being able to move around easily will not only help with your dancing but also making sure you’re comfortable throughout the day.
Overall, choosing dresses to wear to a wedding isn’t massively difficult, but it does require a bit of thought to make sure you get something that’s suitable for the day in question and that will make you look fantastic. Whatever you do, though, make sure you don’t look better than the bride!
One factor you’ll definitely need to consider when deciding what to wear at a wedding is the weather. It might sound obvious, but it is definitely worth making sure your chosen dress or other outfit is appropriate for the season. For instance, a little sundress and strappy heels aren’t going to be great for a winter wedding, and lots of layers probably wouldn’t be ideal for an event at the height of summer.
There are certain weather factors it can be hard to predict when choosing your dress to wear to a wedding, such as the rain. One option would be to go for a dress that won’t show up spots of rain too much, or to make sure you have a jacket and umbrella that go with your dress if it does happen to rain on the big day.
Arguably, finding dresses to wear to a wedding in summer is easier than finding something suitable for winter. After all, for a summer wedding you won’t have to worry so much about keeping warm and can instead focus entirely on style. One thing to steer clear of, no matter what the weather, is white: tradition dictates that only the bride should wear white on the wedding day, so it’s a good idea to keep this in mind when making your choice. Fabrics such as linen, silk, satin and cotton are all good options for the material of your dress, and you can choose which you want depending on your preferences and the style of the day.
For instance, some weddings are more formal than others: if you are going to a formal wedding where everyone is encouraged to dress smartly, a silk or satin dress in a subtle colour that suits you could be a great option. Cotton or linen could be really good for a slightly more casual wedding, depending on the style of the dress you choose.
Something else to think about when deciding what to wear to a wedding is where the wedding is actually going to take place. For instance, if the bride and groom have gone for a beach wedding, you might want to choose a dress that is light and suitable for beach wear. If they’re getting married in an exotic location, you could also choose to reflect that fact in your choice of dress – after all, bright colours and big prints will look far more appropriate on the beach than they would at a sober church wedding. Halternecks are a great dress choice for beach weddings; teamed with flowers in your hair and a pair of delicate sandals, you’re sure to look fantastic.
Your choice of dress to wear to a wedding might also depend on whether the couple in question are getting married in a church, register office, hotel, park or somewhere else entirely. For example, if the wedding is outdoors, you might want to go for a dress that will stay put no matter how windy it gets, as well as one that perhaps has a good lining in case it’s a bit chilly outside. Some locations are also more formal than others, so knowing where the ceremony is going to be held can help your choice of dress.
The culture of the bride and groom could also play a part in your choice of dress to wear to a wedding. Some cultures, for instance, have specific outfits that are worn for weddings, in which case this will help to inform your choice. Other cultures might be more relaxed about what you wear, but if you know the bride or groom has either a style preference or types of dress they’d rather you avoid (some people might expect more modesty, for example), it can be a good idea to take this into account.
Of course, you also need to take into account the rest of your outfit when deciding what to wear to a wedding. You’ll need to make sure your dress goes with your shoes, hair, make-up, accessories and jacket. It can be a good idea to start with your dress so you can build the rest of your outfit around it, but choosing a dress that can go with a range of items is a practical option. For instance, a relatively simple dress that can be teemed with a variety of pairs of shoes and that would be suitable for either summer or winter could potentially give you much more wear – and better value for money – than an intricate dress that you might only be able to wear once.
Making sure your outfit coordinates is especially important for winter weddings, when there are more layers to consider. For example, does your dress go with your jacket? Will you be able to remove some layers if you get hot later in the day? It can also help to check that you can dance in your choice of dress to wear to a wedding; most wedding receptions involve a DJ or some other form of music, so being able to move around easily will not only help with your dancing but also making sure you’re comfortable throughout the day.
Overall, choosing dresses to wear to a wedding isn’t massively difficult, but it does require a bit of thought to make sure you get something that’s suitable for the day in question and that will make you look fantastic. Whatever you do, though, make sure you don’t look better than the bride!
