Stumped About What Wedding Guest Attire to Wear?

Help! How Do I Dress for This Wedding?

Which is worse: being the person who chose too formal or informal wedding guest attire?

Answer: both are embarrassing! You don't want to show up in an outfit that's the subject of horrified whispers.

It takes some planning to get the right look for the style and location of the wedding. The first hint of what type of wedding guest attire to wear is found on the invitation. The time of day and location tell you a lot about the type of attire that's expected.

Sundresses and sandals are fine for an afternoon beach wedding, but don't show up for a noon church wedding in a cathedral dressed that way. What you wear to a nice restaurant is suitable for most daytime weddings.

For a causal outdoor wedding, your wedding guest attire should not be too short or too revealing. Even if shorts are acceptable, don't show up in your Daisy Dukes. A wedding guest needs to blend into the setting, not wear clothes that scream, "look at me!"

After 5 P.M., weddings are usually more formal - so the proper wedding guest attire might be a suit or short cocktail dress. A high society wedding might state "black tie" on the invitation, which means bring out the tuxedos and gowns.

Wear a jacket, shrug or wrap over a low-cut or strapless dress and avoid sequins or glitter. This is the bride's day to shine, not yours.

Traditionally, wedding guest attire meant the color black was off limits, but today (particularly for evening weddings) this is perfectly acceptable.

Definitely don't wear white - that's reserved for the bride! If your guy has an old tux left from his college days, make sure it's modern enough so that he doesn't look out of place at a formal wedding.

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Proper Etiquette for Wedding Guest Attire

Wedding guests are present to support the happy couple on their special day.

They're not there to compete with the bridal party for attention.

Many people make fashion faux pas at weddings because they just don't know what the proper wedding guest attire means!

Showing up in a strapless sundress, jeans or glittering outfit are serious sins for wedding guests. Just like the wedding party, guests need to take time to plan wedding guest attire that's appropriate and tasteful.

The old rule still holds true - only the bride wears a white dress. Black dresses are more acceptable than in years past, but best worn for a nighttime formal wedding. Leave the garish prints or trendy mini-skirts in the closet and lean toward the conservative side for most weddings.

Ladies can choose wedding guest attire in the form of a long or short dresses for formal evening weddings, but just make sure to cover up low cut gowns with a jacket or wrap for the ceremony.

Not every man has a tux in the closest and renting one is pricey for a single wear. He can wear a black or navy suit, with a white shirt and muted tie. If he doesn't have a suit, wearing dark trousers with a dress shirt and tie is acceptable wedding guest attire. Absolutely no jeans - even if he calls them his "dress denims!"

When considering what accessories to wear with your wedding guest attire, be careful about bangle bracelets that are noisy or other jewelry that's extreme.

Here's the rule of thumb: choose an outfit that will fit in with the crowd, not cause whispers of "what was she thinking?" When in doubt, choose an outfit that would make your Mother proud!

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Informal, Semi-Formal and Formal Wedding Guest Attire

Long before couples were getting married in scuba gear or rock climbing, there were simple ways to know the proper wedding guest attire...

For most weddings, there are still three categories: informal, semi-formal and formal.

Guests need to know which of these styles the bride hand groom have chosen and make their clothing choices blend with the wedding style. Informal weddings are usually during the day and can be either indoors or outdoors.

Location dictates your wedding guest attire. For an informal wedding in a church, dress as you would for dinner at a fine restaurant or for church. For male wedding guest attire, sport jackets and trousers are fine, but jeans may be too casual.

If informal means a beach wedding or backyard wedding, then women can wear a sundress and sandals while men can choose chinos and a sport shirt. Beach wedding attire for guests can be tricky because some couples opt for a formal wedding on the beach, so make sure you ask about the formal or informal apparel.

Semi-formal weddings may be at high noon in a church or in the early evening at a hotel. Guests need to dress in sophisticated day clothing or understated eveningwear. For women, that means a tailored suit or short cocktail dress. Men need to wear a business suit with dress shirt.

Formal weddings signal black tie and long gowns as the right wedding guest attire. Women may choose short cocktail dress if they don't have an appropriate long gown.

Another option is a dressy top or cashmere sweater over a long black skirt. Men who don't own a tux can wear a black or navy suit with white dress shirt and muted tie.

If you aren't sure how "formal" the wedding is, dress in semi-formal attire as a compromise.

You always want to err on the side of caution so that you don't feel awkward before, during, and after the ceremony.