Someone you love and care about is getting married and you are excited to attend their wedding. You will want to look your best and be dressed for the event. All your friends and family will be in attendance so you don't want to be under or over dressed. This Wedding Style Cheat Sheet will, hopefully, help you figure out what kind of attire is perfect for the wedding event that you will be attending.
Before we get into what outfits are appropriate for what wedding style, there are a couple of rules that apply to pretty much all weddings.
- Avoid anything that's flashy or calls attention to yourself, such as a loud pattern or neon color. The attention should always be on the bride and groom so if what you're wearing is going to be a distraction then you will probably want to choose another outfit. Red is also a color that shouldn't be worn to most weddings, unless it's a wedding in certain cultures.
- Don't wear anything too revealing. This goes along with the point above.
- If you are a female, do not, under any circumstances, wear white or ivory! This is pretty much common knowledge, but only the bride should be wearing white/ivory on the wedding day and it's considered rude to wear white since it's thought of as you are trying to overshadow the bride. Now, this becomes less strict if it's an alternative wedding where the bride may be wearing a different colored gown or if it's a beach wedding and the couple requests that guest wear white. When in doubt, just as the bride or wedding party.
Now that's out of the way, let's talk about what to wear for each wedding event style!
Black Tie Wedding
For him: Tuxedos, black bow ties, cummerbund, and patent shoes should be worn.
For her: Full length evening gown preferably in a neutral or dark color.
Formal or Black Tie Optional Wedding
For him: A formal dark colored suit with a tie or a tuxedo will suffice.
For her: Long or cocktail length evening dress or dressy suit is preferred, also in a neutral or dark color.
Beach Formal Wedding
For him: No tie is required, however, a summer suit with linen pants or khakis is.
For her: Tea or knee-length formal dress with sandals and normal makeup.
Semiformal or Dressy Casual Wedding
For him: A suit and tie should be worn. Suit can be dark or light depending on the season and time of day. (Darker for winter and evening, lighter for summer and midday.)
For her: A cocktail dress is standard but you may also wear a dressy skirt and top.
Casual Wedding
For him: A button down or polo shirt and dress pants is all that's needed.
For her: Nice summer sundress or skirt/pants with a nice blouse is all that's needed. Makeup and hair can be natural.
Hopefully this Wedding Wednesday post will help you in your search to find the perfect outfit to wear as a guest!
