Answers to All of Your Wedding Attire Etiquette Questions!

Selecting a wedding dress and dresses for the bridesmaids is a dream moment that can quickly fall into despair if you don't have practical guidelines.

Since most brides make these choices months in advance, it's so important to put yourself into the mindset of the season, time of day and the venue for your wedding.

This will keep you from choosing the darling chiffon spaghetti strap dress for a snowy December wedding!

Wedding etiquette advice specialists know that some fabrics like brocades, heavy satins and lace are better choices for fall or winter weddings, but an uninformed bride might not know that - and this isn't something you do every day!

These fabrics would look out of place and feel like a wearing an overcoat for a summer outdoor wedding. When the venue is a church, there may be rules about what's proper wedding attire.

If strapless or halter dresses aren't acceptable, choose a gown with matching shrug or cape for the ceremony and do the same for the bridesmaid dresses.

An outdoor wedding on the beach, in a garden or a gazebo is lovely, but wedding etiquette advice given to brides says that it requires a dress and veil that won't get blown away in a breeze.

For ease in walking and to avoid stains at the hemline, choose an ankle length or tea length dress. If you want a veil, make it short and not too full. A picture hat is lovely, but has the same wind blown problems as the veil.

A jeweled clip or single flower in the hair is a simple yet elegant alternative for the outdoor wedding. Make certain the groom's clothing is in the same style and level of formality as that of the bride.

Now that women openly wear white shoes after Labor Day, are there any fashion taboos remaining? Yes, say the most formidable wedding etiquette advice columnists! There are still definite dos and don'ts for wedding attire.

You can wear those white shoes, but don't even think about wearing a white dress! That's reserved for the bride. Traditionally, female guests didn't wear black to a wedding, but now even bridesmaids have black dresses. Wearing black to a wedding is safer if it's a discrete "little black dress" for a semi-formal or formal evening wedding.

A guest never wants to be too casual or too formal at a wedding. If you aren't sure what to wear, take a cue from the time and location. For a day wedding in a church or hotel, wear a conservative dress or suit.

Let the men wear the pants on this day - unless you know that pantsuits would be acceptable. An evening wedding is usually semi-formal, if not formal, so choose a modest cocktail dress without glitter, slits or plunging necklines.

When the invitation says, black tie, you can bring out the long evening gown and put your guy in a tux or black suit. The best way to avoid making a mistake is to ask the bride or wedding coordinator.

If they say casual, ask whether that means business casual, slacks or sundresses. Casual means different things to different people. It's the same problem with "formal." Does the bride mean long dress formal or just cocktail dresses?

If you aren't sure, go with a plain, non-sparkly cocktail dress and tell your guy to wear a suit with a white dress shirt and muted tie.

Wedding etiquette advice comes best when it straight from the horse's mouth - the bride who expects guests to dress for her special day just as she's planned it!