Dos And Donts For Mens Wedding Guest Attire
ByCourtney Baldwinon2019-04-23
Receiving a wedding invitation comes with the excitement to share in a couples big day and even sometimes a bit of anxiety of what to wear for the festivities! In this post we are going to provide some tips for wedding guest attire. Fashion DOs and DONTs when its not your big day but you want to look stylish and appropriate for the occasion. Below we discuss Black-Tie, Formal, Cocktail and Casual wedding dress codes as they are the most common categories of wedding affairs.
Choose Something With The Venue In Mind
If you know where the wedding is taking place, you can get a lot of cues from what may or may not be appropriate to wear. If you’re outside sitting in the sun for a wedding in the middle of the summer, you can and should dress a lot different than a wedding inside of a church.
“Whether a Southern Baptist church, mosque, or a beach there are fundamental cues gained when the venue is known,” said Dawn Stafford, a wedding and event expert. “The religious event may require your hair or arms being covered or a sundress would be appropriate for a beach event.”
Can You Wear White To A Wedding
White is another tricky color that can throw people off. Even beige or grey can be mistaken for white. The main reason people are worried about wearing white is that it might look like youre wearing a wedding dress. This could upset the bride. If you really want to wear white, the rule is that you are completely sure the dress cant be mistaken for a wedding dress. It should include some other color, print or pattern somewhere on your outfit. If in doubt, its best not to wear white.
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Mango Asymmetric Neckline Dress
RRP: £49.99 | Sizes: 6-14
Minimalist and modern, this fuss-free style is incredibly versatile and one that is certain to stand the test of time. The asymmetric neckline and midi length keeps it fresh yet modest, making it suitable for a formal wedding. You can get away with flat sandals for a casual daytime affair but swap them out for something more glitzy in the evening, such as these Kurt Geiger sparkly slip-ons.
Don’t Bring A Large Purse Or Bag
As women, we are used to having everything we need at our fingertips and in our purses. Pain medications, tampons, chapstick, sunglasses, and our wallets are just a few of the many things we’re constantly toting around. While this may be okay for the day to day, ensuring we have everything we need for a long day at the office or while on a trip, you can likely leave most of that stuff at home or in the car when attending a wedding.
“Opt for smaller handbags and clutches over large purses,” said Schweitzer. “It’s a good idea to be touch-up ready, but refrain from lugging around heavy and unnecessary items.”
For my best friend’s wedding a few weeks ago, I opted for a small clutch. I made sure I had my ID, some cash for tipping at the bar, chapstick, my phone, tissues, and a few other small “emergency” items that the bride may have needed as we ran around all morning.
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How To Choose A Dress That Is Appropriate For Weddings
Even when youre not the bride yourself, choosing a wedding guest outfit can be almost as difficult.
With so many attire etiquette rules to think about, plus color schemes and then an abundance of styles and shapes to choose from, wedding shopping can become a nightmare.
Choosing a dress appropriate for a wedding comes down to style more than color and you must bear in mind at all times, would the bride approve of this?
Do: Have A Perfectly Tailored Look
If you dont already own a custom tux, it might be time to invest in one. Even a $100 tux tailored to perfection can look like a $2,000 piece, says Padilla. Ladies can absolutely bet on finding amazing black tie wedding attire options too that they can run to the tailor for a fraction of the investment of an entire new look.
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Quick Answer : Can You Wear Black To A Semi Formal Wedding
by12 September 2021, 3 h 42 min12k Views39 Votes
Im happy to say times have changed: These days you can pretty much always wear black to a wedding, unless being told explicitly not to by the couple. Its the universal neutral colorit looks good on everyone, its super versatile, and it can be chic and sophisticated or casual and fun.
Similarly, Can a long dress be semi formal?
Try to avoid going too long or too short.
Miniskirts and floor-length gowns are off limits, says Dupuis. Shopping for semi-formal dresses is all about finding that happy medium. If you fancy wearing a maxi dress, just make sure the fabric isnt too dressy, the fashion expert says.
Subsequently, What is considered semi-formal dress for a woman? As its name suggests, semi-formal is a mixture of sophisticated dressing and a more relaxed style. As such, it is more casual than formal dress codes, such as black tie.
What colors should you not wear to a wedding?
Colors You Cant Wear to a Wedding
- White.
Is It Bad To Wear Black To A Wedding Quick Tips
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Wedding events are such unique and happy events. Thats why the unspoken dress code is bright shades and joyful patterns to suit the state of mind of the day. Is it bad to wear black to a wedding? While you dont want to outperform the bride, you want to appearance your best.
So, what do you do, if looking your best involves a black dress? black at a wedding appropriate? These are questions youve probably asked on your own sometimes.
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Casual Wedding Guest Attire
The designation of Casual Attire is probably the most broad and confusing of the attire designations discussed in this post. Its the most confusing because everyones description of casual wedding guest attire may be different. First and foremost when deciding what you will wear to a wedding indicated as Casual Attire, try to take some clues from the invitation, venue and time of day that the wedding will take place.
DO
- Wear chinos or suit pants. Chinos or khakis are a great option for casual weddings especially those that take place in the summer. If it is an especially warm climate, you may even consider wearing khaki or chino shorts. In cooler climates, opt for a nice pair of lightweight wool trousers.
- Wear a printed shirt. A printed shirt in plaid, stripes, or all-over pattern is a great option for a casual wedding
- Add color to your look .Different than black-tie and formal weddings where dark colors are encouraged, a casual attire wedding is often a good time to add a little color to your look.
DONT
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Lk Bennett Scarlett Black Cotton Dress
RRP: £275 | Sizes: 6-18
The sheer silk sleeves add a dose of drama to this simple, yet stylish dress. It has a velvet bodice and a sweetheart neckline and falls just at the knee. Sexy, without being too OTT, its the perfect reception dress to get the party started. Wear with simple court shoes and a matching clutch.
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What Do You Wear To A 4pm Wedding
Before 4 PM
In general, daytime weddings are more casual, and so lighter fabrics, festive colors, and less-formal attire is the rule. For women, a nice daytime dress, skirt, and top, or jumpsuit are good choices. For men, a well-tailored suit in a mid-to-dark neutral color like gray, blue, or charcoal is appropriate.
Do Make Sure Your Skirt Is At Least Finger
While not all weddings will take place in a church, Carillo told me “the best rule of thumb is, if you can wear it to church, you can probably wear it to a wedding.” While we agree you look hot in that mini dress you recently picked up, a wedding isn’t the place to show it off, so leave it at home and opt for something a little longer and more appropriate.
“Dresses and skirts should be finger tip length long as you will be doing a lot of sitting and it’s not fun having to constantly pull down your dress,” Carillo added.
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Add Colour With Makeup
When it comes to makeup for a wedding, youll most likely be wearing it all day long and into the night with just a couple of touch ups using a compact.
For this reason, you dont want it to be too heavy for the day part of the wedding but you want it to last into the evening.
A great way to add a splash of color to a black dress is to use your makeup and add a bright lip as a colorful accent.
Lips are easy to reapply throughout the day and evening and brighten up a darker outfit with ease.
Can You Wear Black At A Wedding
Often it will depend on the venue and the couple as to whether you can wear black to a wedding. So, pay close attention to the invite to see if there is a specific dress code. If its an evening wedding in a hotel ballroom for example, a black outfit would probably be more acceptable. However at a daytime wedding on a beach, black might look out of place. If you are unsure, it might be worth double checking with the bride.
There is black and there is black! says Diana, of author of Modern Etiquette for a Better Life. Its not a fashion failure to wear a LBD to your BFFs wedding at a formal celebration, such as a black tie event. However, Id suggest wearing something more festive and colourful to a daytime wedding. As long as you are not standing out in the crowd with a fluorescent colour or something too short, tight or revealing, you will be fine.
On the other hand, the outfit you choose has a great deal to do with your personal fashion and style. You could select a beautiful, tasteful LBD and look perfectly dazzling. Ultimately, its the risk you take. Unless its a formal affair, I would skip it and opt for a pastel or jewel coloured outfit. But, absolutely no white!
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Wedding Etiquette: Yes You Can Wear Black To A Wedding
When I suggested black dresses for wedding guests last week, some of you were perplexed.
Go ahead and wear this dress to a wedding! These style gurus say it’s fine!
Save the Date reader all_dressed_up commented:
“You can wear all black to a wedding? I thought that was a no-no.”
As I said in the comments, I almost always wear black to weddings. But I get that I live in New York City, and the rules we play by here don’t apply everywhere. So I decided to double-check with the experts.
First, I flipped through my well-worn copy of Miss Manners’ Guide to Excruciatingly Correct Behavior. And lo and behold, Miss Manners does say that wedding guests shouldn’t wear black. But she also says that brides shouldn’t wear strapless dresses. So I think Miss Manners and I are going to have to agree to disagree on both counts.
Next up, I checked in with a whole mess of experts in both the wedding and fashion industries. Here’s what they had to say:
“As long as a black dress feels festive, it’s fine for a wedding!”
Kimbelry Schlegel Whitman, event planner and author of The Wedding Workbook
“While most of the dresses we recommend for guests in our Wedding Boutique are in an array of gorgeous colorsincluding jewel tones and lipstick redwe have an Herve Leger strapless bandage dress in black that would be a knockout at an evening wedding.”
Holli Rogers, buying director, net-a-porter.com
Jennifer Hyman CEO and co-founder, Rent the Runway
Andrea Behar, fashion designer
Wedding Etiquette: The Dress Code
Yes, you can wear black! Just choose a style that’s suitable for the particular time and place.
“Black is perfectly acceptable to wear to a wedding. The style of the dress should reflect the time of year, time of day, and wedding location. For example, for a formal or black-tie wedding, a woman may wear a black floor-length gown, but at a beach wedding she may wear a black dress thatâs shorter and flowy, and at a rustic or vineyard wedding a black lace dress would be appropriate.”
Don’t wear white , but also try not to wear the same color as the bridesmaids.
“Unless the couple is planning a white wedding dress code, guests should avoid wearing white, ivory, or a similar shade to a wedding. If a guest knows what color the bridesmaids are wearing they should avoid wearing the same color dress.”
Avoid anything too casual or too sexy.
“If the wedding ceremony is being held in a house of worship, it would be appropriate for a guest to choose something that isnât too sexy, or at least wear something to cover their shoulders if the church or synagogue requires a more modest look in their chapel or sanctuary. In general, guests should also avoid flip-flops, athleisure wear, denim, and shorts which are most likely too casual for a weddingâs setting.”
Always pay attention to the dress code â and when in doubt, ask.
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Add A Hat Or Fascinator
Hats or smaller fascinators are a fantastic way to ramp up an evening look to wedding guest attire.
Although you could add a black accessory, choosing a hat or fascinator gives you a stylish opportunity to add some vibrant color to your outfit, without relying solely on heavy or statement jewelry.
Depending on the level of dress code for your do, opt for a brightly colored wide-brimmed hat or feathered hairband, for an elegant look with a flash of color.
There May Be Exceptions
There will obviously be exceptions to many of these rules. If the bride and groom request a certain attire or mention a specific theme, some of these tips may fly out the window, but for the majority of weddings you may attend, these rules are tried and true to follow.
For me, this means having that one dress hanging in my closet that I know is always a safe and acceptable option for nearly any and every wedding I attend. When in doubt, if you find yourself stressing and texting your friends about whether or not your outfit is appropriate, chances are it may not be and you’re better off picking something that fits within these safe guidelines.
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