Wedding Guest Attire: 6 No Fail Tips For Dressing The Part

Strapless Cocktail Dress // Tassel Earrings // Ankle Strap Sandals // Watch // David Yurman Bangles

We are about to attend our third wedding in one months time! So, I felt like today's topic was very fitting seeing as wedding season is in full swing! Finding something to wear to a wedding can be a daunting task. Most of us don't just have a wide selection of cocktail dresses sitting around in our closet, so that means you are more than likely out shopping for options and texting your bff's to see what they're wearing. It's an even tougher task when the dress code is vague. And, if you're in the same phase of life as us - everybody is getting married. I think we attended a whopping nine weddings last year, plus our own! That's nine dresses I had to figure out because almost all of the weddings had the same, or similar guests in attendance and no specific theme. Holy stressful! So if you're in the same boat as me, hang tight because today I'm walking you through 6 no fail tips for always dressing the part.  

1. First things first, figure out what time of day the wedding is taking place. Often times day time weddings can be a little more casual in the sense that a floral maxi dress is acceptable, while evening weddings typically require cocktail dresses. 

2. Figure out the location of the wedding. Piggybacking off the above stated tip, if you're still unsure of what type of outfit to wear - the location can tell a lot about dress code. If it's an outdoor wedding in a garden at 2:00 PM, a floral maxi dress is a perfect option. If it's an indoor wedding in a church at 6 PM, a midi length cocktail dress is appropriate. 

3. Never wear black or white to a wedding. Yea, yea - I know the whole don't wear black rule is phasing out amongst our generation, but what us millennials fail to remember is that weddings have guests of all ages, and many times our elders who are family members of the bride and groom can be offended by those wearing black. Believe me when I say, I've heard plenty of women whisper "I thought you weren't supposed to wear black to a wedding" to their neighbor as someone strolls past them to their seat at the ceremony. There are exceptions to this of course, for instance if the wedding is labeled "black tie" then this does not apply, but since we are talking about weddings with vague dress codes this is relevant. If you just rule both of these colors out, no one can ever say anything about it. Safe bet! 

4. Err on the side of conservatism. I always opt for a dress that's at least knee length, if not longer. The dress pictured above is a "midi" length dress which is always a good length for a wedding no matter what the dress code is. Weddings are not the time or place to flaunt those toned legs you've been working so hard on in the gym. Believe me girl I get it, they look goooddd in that mini - but there will always be somebody judging you for wearing that to a wedding (or house of worship for that matter), so general rule of thumb: If you're questioning the length in the dressing room, rule it out. 

5. If you can, find out what color the bridesmaids are wearing and avoid it. It's always a little awkward showing up in a dress that's the same color as the bridesmaids. You end up looking like the third wheel friend who wanted to be in the wedding but didn't get asked. I know that's probably not the case, but you get what I mean - it's just awkward. 

6. Find a pair of neutral heels that are comfortable and go with everything. This is one of my favorite tips. If you're already buying multiple dresses, it's annoying to have to buy multiple pairs of shoes too. It's also not so classy to be running around the wedding barefoot when your feet hurt. I know we all do it, but if you can avoid having to do that - you're always winning. I found these little block heeled sandals and wear them with every guest of the wedding dress I have! They're neutral, beyond comfortable, the heel height is conservative, and they are good quality which means you'll get longevity out of them. I never have to take them off at any wedding we attend! 

It's also worth mentioning if you find a dress you like that comes in multiple colors like this one (comes in 10 colors), it's perfectly okay to wear it again in a different color to the next wedding! Talk about easy and no one will notice! I'm actually thinking about ordering this version of the dress above for our next event! 

PS: If you're looking for options on what to wear to your next wedding, I've done the work for you and put together a whole page of appropriate options for you here.

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