what to wear to a wedding

What to Wear to a Wedding 

What to wear to a wedding is a questions that needs to be addressed properly. There are several different types of weddings and you need to dress accordingly if you don’t want to look awkward and feel like you don’t belong there. The first step when choosing what to wear is to find out the type of wedding you are going to. In general, there are 4 levels of formality when it comes to weddings.
Informal
Semi-Formal
Formal (or Black Tie)
White Tie – the highest level of formality and it very rear this days (the wedding of prince William and Kate, for example)

Then you need to also find out if you are going to an evening, daytime, or outdoor wedding and of course the season. The level of formality and setting of the event are the most important factors when deciding what to wear to a wedding. However, sometimes is hard to gather that information especially if you don’t know the bride and groom very well. In this case the most appropriate and easy thing to do is to call and ask. If you don’t want to ask directly take a closer look at the invitation. This single piece of paper can tell you a lot about the etiquette and level of formality of the wedding. It will also give you the information of wear the wedding is taking place. Look at the quality of the paper, the font, and the language used on the invitation – all this will give you a hint about what kind of wedding you are about to go to, also if it a black tie or a white tie type of wedding it will be stated there in writing. 

Some common rules when choosing what to wear to a wedding are:

• Never wear white (it is the colour of the bride) 
• Don’t dress too sexy or extravagant, your goal is to look respectful and elegant without overshadowing the bride. 
• Make sure that your shoulders are covered if going to a church wedding (bring a shawl if needed)
• Don’t wear black to a day wedding
• Don’t wear denim, t-shirts, or anything too casual
• Be comfortable as you will most likely dance and stand up for a long period of time

Formal (Black Tie) Wedding

Formal Daytime Wedding

 

Evening Formal Wedding

What to Wear to a Semi-Formal Wedding

• SEMI-FORMAL DAYTIME

Semi-formal Wedding

 

Evening Semi-formal Wedding

What To Wear To A White Tie Wedding

White tie weddings are rare and usually take place in the evening. Wear long gowns, formal jewellery (fur, gloves, and hats optional).

White tie Wedding

 

 

What to Wear to an Informal Wedding

• DAYTIME  

  Short dress (patterns are ok too) or a skirt and a blazer or cardigan,  wear heels if the wedding is in the city and try not to wear anything too casual, better look a little bit overdressed than under dresses.

daytime wedding

 

• INFORMAL OUTDOOR

  If the wedding is in a garden like setting wear a flower print dress with flats or wedges, if you wear heels they might get stuck in the ground and you will feel really uncomfortable.

Garden Wedding

 

• INFORMAL BEACH

  For a beach wedding wear a light weight dress and a pair of sandals. Here you can dress pretty casually but still make sure that you respect the event and wear appropriate attire.

Beach Wedding

 

• INFORMAL EVENING 

  Wear cocktail dresses, print dresses, or a skirt and a top, (above the knee lengths are acceptable)

Informal Wedding