What to wear to a wedding? – is one of two questions that immediately raise the alarm in our head when we receive an invitation to a wedding, second: what to give as a present . As a rule, the newlyweds help us to solve the second problem but leave us alone with the other one.
To find a suitable dress style is not enough, one must observe all the proprieties and take care of general dress compliance to the upcoming event.
Let’s deal with all this together.
As a rule, many restrictions are to be taken into consideration while buying and selecting a proper dress for a wedding: it must fit the figure; be age-appropriate, quite festive, but not challenging, not of fabulous price; match perfectly to the purse, shoes and other accessories. Besides, there are general rules for the guests’ clothing that must be strictly followed.
The muse of all street fashion photographers in the world and editor-in-chief of Japanese Vogue Anna Dello Russo has defined
10 Rules of what to wear to a wedding for guests
1. It is strictly forbidden to wear white clothes, as well as white accessories. It is the color of the bride.
2. The same is with completely black clothes: mourning hints at the wedding are not acceptable. No black veil or black color at all. However, if the young girls have chosen black dresses, they should make the shorter length or get colorful decorations. After all, this is a classic color for evening dresses and suits.
3. Please, complete your dress with a hat, even if you were invited to a wedding of the already married couple.
4. Immediately find out all about the place of a wedding, as it will largely determine your choice of clothing. For example, you mustn’t put on a floral print dress to a garden party.
5. Do not wear dresses of medium length, especially if you’re going to complete your own with an old shawl or, what is worse, throw it over one shoulder. Otherwise, you may seem like a bride’s aunt.
6. Choose a precise and strict silhouette: a sexy dress of knee-length or a long glam dress, so typical of the ’70s.
7. Keep out of the stores specializing in evening gowns.
8. We say ‘yes’ to jewelry, but only family or very expensive.
9. There is no need to have your shoes and clutch combined. And do not fill the latter with sweet almonds while greeting the couple.
10. Since the bride is a No.1 heroine at this celebration, you should avoid too eccentric toilets not to draw general attention from the main character. Refuse from too bright, sparkling colors because they won’t look appropriate at such celebration.
So, the wedding guests should wear:
• pastel colors that will be quite suitable for any wedding ceremony, especially for a daily celebration: green, turquoise, pale lilac, pink, blue and beige. Similar shades with shimmering, transitions of colors or floral motifs will suit the guests’ clothing best of all.
• Special attention should be paid to the length of a dress and the size of décolleté, especially if wedding contains a church ceremony. In the latter case you must think of a jacket, shawl or mantlet because the shoulders should be covered.
• If you are not a close guest, you do not need to be in the very center of the banquet program all the time, so be pragmatic here: it’s reasonable to select quality clothing which may be worn anywhere else after the wedding. It is better to take less extravagant, but wearable clothing and use accessories to make it ceremonial and solemn. Then you will have a good and beautiful thing in the wardrobe to wear for other occasions.
What to wear to a wedding: top secrets of the most popular dress codes
1. Most weddings are held in spring and in summer as this is the most popular time to get married. It determines either the clothes to be worn and the atmosphere, as these are the ways to add some festive mood to this special occasion.
2. What should be wedding shoes? Classic shoes of one or two colors suit in 80% of cases.
3. The invitation usually specifies a dress code: black tie or tenue de ville. Festive or evening dresses are considered to be additional definitions, you can see them in the invitation. A certain dress code must be absolutely clear to you. So if you see any unknown terms, it’s better to inquire that.
4. Sometimes, this is the invitation to give you a clue to the wedding style. If you have no idea of what to wear to a wedding, ask either the newlyweds or a master of ceremony. There is nothing worse than to appear in jeans among guests in evening dresses and gowns.
The question what men are to wear to a wedding is no less important than what women should wear to it.
All men should be guided by the following rules of what to wear to a wedding:
• A classic black suit with a white shirt is a costume for a groom only.
• In winter the best clothing option would be a classic costume: blue or gray.
• In warm weather bright colors are ideal: blue, pistachio or light gray. The shirt and the tie must be of the same color scheme. A tie or a butterfly is an optional attribute of a man at the wedding, though regarded as highly desirable since it emphasizes the importance and solemnity of the event and one’s respectability.
• It is better to avoid too extravagant clothes: too bright and demonstrative suits with different designs or patterns; business-like style makes much more solemn impression at the wedding.
• It is also recommended not to wear too much perfume. The smell should be scarcely appreciable and very light.
• Shoes must be a perfect match to your look in general. Black shoes fit almost every clothing. We recommend you set the same tone for socks and shoes.
Thus, men should be guided by two concepts while choosing what to wear to a wedding. These are moderation and elegance.
And finally, the golden rule what to wear to a wedding of both men and women worldwide: DO NOT overshine a Groom and a Bride!