Do you have an upcoming wedding and are stumped about what to wear? Fear not! We’ve compiled a guide to wedding outfits. It will help you coordinate colors and looks based on your eye color, hair color, skin tone, and the current season. We’ll also answer many frequently asked questions.
The truth is that it’s not easy to choose the perfect wedding outfit. There’s no doubt the bride and groom have spent months planning the ultimate wedding, so it’s important to do your best to dress for the right occasion. If you haven’t attended many in the past, you probably won’t understand the formality and how much each wedding can vary. Regardless if you are trying to understand common dress codes or just want new ideas, you are in the right place!
What Should I Wear to A Wedding As A Guest?
Let’s face it, this is not a simple question to answer. When it comes to wedding guest outfits, it will depend on the theme, time of the year, and if you have a role in the wedding party. Let’s take a look at some common scenarios:
Spring Wedding Guest Outfits
This is an excellent time of the year to take advantage of pastel colors. If you have dark hair, be sure to stick with colors such as turquoise, salmon, sky blue, and bright flowery shades of green. Alternatively, those with lighter hair should opt for colors that are still on the more brilliant spectrum but more muted.
In terms of clothing types, women can wear dresses, skirts, shorts, or whatever else the weather permits, depending on the wedding style. Men should stick with tuxedos, khakis, jeans, and the like.
Summer Wedding Guest Outfits
June is one of the most popular months for weddings. Hence, summer can be a busy time of year for the wedding industry. This is the perfect season for bright colors. Colors that range from lighter shades of brown to yellows, purples, pinks, greens, and blues.
This is the best time of year to sport a sleeveless dress, sandals, shorter dresses, or even a nice pair of Capri pants if the wedding is casual.
Fall Wedding Guest Outfits
The chances of getting invited to a fall wedding are high, as September and October are two of the most popular months to host a wedding. Experts suggest sticking with traditional autumn colors that are warm such as darker blues, browns, oranges, purples, and pinks.
If you are attending an outdoor wedding that takes place in the evening, you may choose a dress with long sleeves. Another option when it comes to wedding guest dress styles is a sleeveless dress combined with a shawl or matching cardigan. You may also find it appropriate to pair the dress with boots if the expected attire allows.
Winter Wedding Guest Outfits
Though it can be cold for an outdoor wedding in the winter, you must consider that you still have to face the weather elements walking into an indoor wedding. Hence, you’ll want to be sure to dress warmly. This means choosing a longer dress that also has long sleeves, or that’s paired with a cardigan or shawl that complements it. If you pick a dress that’s long enough, you may even be able to wear another layer beneath, such as leggings.
In terms of colors, it’s best to go with bright shades of purple, pink, blue, gray, or even black. Check out the infographic below for images of the colors for each season.
When trying to determine what outfit to wear, the main thing to remember is always read the wedding invitation carefully and choose your look accordingly. The last thing you want to do is show up in a casual sundress when the invitation specified “black-tie formal.”
Wedding Guest Makeup
If you’re a woman, then you are probably wondering about wedding guest makeup looks. The truth is you can do your makeup how you want. One key point to remember is always to consider the seasonal colors (as discussed above). Also make sure your makeup colors coordinate with your dress colors.
Frequently Asked Questions
There’s no doubt you still have some questions about what to wear when heading to a wedding.
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions:
Do You Change Outfits for the Wedding Reception?
Generally speaking, most guests choose one outfit that they wear for the entire day. The bride, however, may change into something else before the reception, though. Also, consider that the wedding and reception venue may be on the same property, so you won’t be allowed the time to change your clothes. Alternatively, if there’s travel time between the two locations, you should have plenty of time to change, and it would be considered appropriate.
What to Wear to A Wedding if You Hate Dresses?
While there are many beautiful wedding guest dresses, the looks aren’t for some people. Wedding attire has come along way over the years. There are many other looks that women can pull off if they simply don’t like wearing dresses. The number one alternative is a dressy pantsuit.
Can You Wear Pants to A Wedding as A Guest?
Yes. As discussed above, women can wear pantsuits or simply combine a pair of dress slacks with a dressy blouse.
In the end, the main goal of choosing the perfect wedding party guest outfit is reading the invitation to ensure you are dressing up to the correct level of formality. In other words, if you read the term “white tie,” then you should dress as if you were attending a state dinner or perhaps the Oscar awards. If the dress code is “daytime,” anything goes. So you will see some wearing Polo shirts and dress pants, while women are wearing a sundress, skirt, or even slacks and blouse.
Always consider the bride and groom and remember that it’s their special day, so dress to impress them! Hopefully, their big day goes off without a hitch, and they celebrate many anniversaries through the years!
Brought to you by motherofthebrideoutfits.co.uk
This article was originally published on Infographicsarchive.com on September 21, 2014.
