What To Wear To A Wedding

My Outfit Details:

Happy June, ladies!  Can you believe it’s already June? I swear I just put away my Christmas tree!  I’m not going to complain though, as the warmer weather is so great! The start of summer signals one thing….wedding season!  While wedding season can be daunting with all of the wedding showers, bachelorette parties and everything else, it’s also so fun to get dressed up!  Fear not though, I’ve got a complete guide on what to wear to a wedding this summer for you.  And be sure to check out how my outfits turn out on my Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest pages.

 

Long gone are the days of satin dresses that resemble something from Prom 1998. Anymore, pretty much anything goes (within reason) when it comes to dressing for a wedding. There are a few “rules” that should be followed when picking out the perfect dress to wear to a wedding, but the best “rule” is to have fun and pick something in which you feel amazing.  This what to wear to a wedding post has been in the works for some time now and might be my most extensive shopping post ever! So lets get to it…

 

The Rules – What to Avoid

1. Any shade that resembles white, cream, off white, champagne, or light pink.  It’s the bride’s day, not yours, so let her wear the softer color pallet.
2. Do not wear a red dress, period.  I believe it’s a southern thing not to wear red, but it’s a good rule to incorporate in any part of the country.  Red is a power color and while I love it, don’t wear it to a wedding.  Save the red dress for the bachelorette party.
3. Don’t dress casually. This is a wedding, a celebration, so get dressed up in your best.  Keep in mind it’s never a bad idea to be overdressed.

 

Dresses 

Picking a dress can be as stressful if you make it that way. In reality, it doesn’t have to be stressful at all.  When deciding on what to wear to a wedding, keep the venue in mind, since this will guide you in your dress choice. If the wedding is outdoors on a lake then you will pick a more casual dress made of cotton or jersey and skip the silk or shiny material.  If the wedding is at a hotel ballroom or a hall, you can open up your choices and include more dressy fabrics like satin or silk. Keep in mind if it is a black tie wedding the invitation will say that. If you run into this you can check out my guide to dressing for a black tie wedding. 

 

The length of the dress should be guided by the venue.  I personally think there are two options for dress length, long or short.  Pretty simple right? A floor length dress can be worn to any type of wedding casual or black tie.  Once again let the venue guide your fabric choice here. A casual maxi dress is great for an outdoor wedding, but probably not the best choice for a black tie wedding, select a dressier fabric for this type of wedding.

 

Short dresses should be worn with caution as you don’t want to wear something too short.  A general rule of thumb is that a short dress should be no shorter than your fingertips when your hands are extended hanging down.  It’s a Catholic school rule that truly applies to real life. Save the short minis for a night out with your girlfriends. A wedding is an elegant affair and your dress should complement that.  

 

Pretty much any dress style or silhouette can be worn to a wedding.  Select one that complements you and one in which you feel comfortable. Take your everyday style and turn it up a notch.  I typically wear fitted dress for work and for weddings I like to do the same as I am confident in this style of a dress. When thinking about what to wear to a wedding, don’t forget the style you rock at other events.

 

And now to the trickiest part of selecting what to wear to a wedding….the dress color!  I’ll be honest, I usually get a black dress. Shame on me, I know! I’ve been trying to branch out, but it’s hard.  For summer weddings you can pretty much wear any color (without breaking the rules above). Instead of black, opt for navy, as it is still dark, but lets you break away from tradition.  Another popular trend is florals. A floral dress is beautiful and something out of the ordinary. Whatever color you pick have fun with it!

 

We all love to buy something new, however, it can get expensive if you have multiple weddings in a season.  One suggestions is to rent your dress through Rent the Runway. This is a service where you literally rent your dress for a couple days and drop it in the mail when done.  I’ve rented dressed from them in the past and have loved it! The service is pretty easy to use, as you either go online or to a store (they have locations in Chicago, California, DC, San Francisco and New York) and select a dress.  I love the variety they offer as well as the ability to pick a dress that I normally wouldn’t “buy.” Since I’m renting it, I’m not concerned about where I’m going to wear the dress again.

 

Keeping in mind everything I noted above I’ve selected some great options for dresses.  

Shoes

Shoes are a weakness of mine.  I’m a sucker for a sleek high heel, but the older I get the harder it is to stand in them for hours, let alone dance the night away.  When picking a shoe, pick something that you can stand in for hours without looking like you are in pain. There is nothing worse than a woman barefoot at a wedding because her adorable shoes are causing pain.  I’m sure they were the cutest shoes ever, but if they aren’t even on your feet no one will know how cute they are.   A great rule to live by for shoes is when in doubt wear a nude color pair of shoes.  9 times out of 10 you will look polished and put together in a nude shoe.

 

Check out my top shoe choices below.  

 

Purses

I have a hard and fast rule regarding purses to use for weddings.  It’s very simple. Use a clutch or an evening bag, DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT use your everyday purse for a wedding.  It’s a wedding, its supposed to be fun and you’re dressed up so your purse should match your look! I have a collection of clutches on hand to pick from that I’ve actually owned for years.  Evening bags or clutches rarely go out of style and if you buy a basic one it will always be in style. Pick up clutches when you see them, even if you don’t need it immediately. You will thank yourself later when that wedding invitation arrives.  

 

I’ve pulled some options for great clutches now and later. 

 

Jewelry

No hard and fast rule on jewelry for weddings, except to have fun with it.  While you can wear your everyday jewelry (and sometimes I do) it’s OK to go a bit “bigger” for a wedding.  Wear a dangly earring or an oversized cocktail ring. Make sure the jewelry matches your dress and have fun selecting pieces!   

 

Below are some of my favorite pieces. 

 

 

WOW! That was intense, right ladies?!?  I hope this what to wear to a wedding guide is helpful and please don’t hesitate to reach out with questions, you can email directly at latereverafter@gmail.com. I’m happy to review dress, shoe or accessory options with you individually!