What to wear to a wedding (as guest)?

lighterthought

I want to know what your favourite outfits to wear to others' weddings are, have a few weddings coming up and want to hear what you love to wear (I'm a woman, but always looking for style tips for my husband too!)

Full skirts with blouse? A dress? Pencil dresses and skirts? Flats versus heels, tight or flowy, do you wear a hat or headpiece? Hair down or up?

Do you always buy something new, or do you have some favourite staples in your closet for events? Do you dress very formal, or something pretty that you might wear out fairly often?

Inspire me

tinkerbell

Hair down, fascinator, black dress, heels. I love wearing black - if you have non-black accessories you can totally work it for a wedding.

coconut5

White!

Acoshla

I never buy a new outfit for a wedding, unless I will definitely wear it again, enough expense to go to without having a stuffed wardrobe of useless dresses! I normally wear a dress, wrap, 50's style, cinched waist, lots of different styles, almost always just above my knee, normally from Awear, Swamp (both have a lot of the same stock in different colours) or Penneys if it's particularly pretty!

I wear comfy heels, I have a great nude pair that go with everything. I always have my hair down, normally with big loose curls, but am thinking of getting a fascinator or really pretty hairband for the next one I'm going to, it's quite a fancy wedding and my dress is quite a simple 50's style navy dress with mustard and white flowers on it so can afford to do a little more with my hair.

Oh and I do my own make up and hair, didn't realise until recently that a lot of people going as guests get these done professionally, I'm way too cheap and picky to do that!

username123

I have a few staple dresses I wear to weddings and other events, generally I buy one or two per year and one or two existing get relegated to less formal wearing.

I have issues wearing heels due to knee problems so for summer weddings I wear dressy flat sandals, for winter weddings I wear either low heels just for the church/meal and then switch to flats later or very wintery (ie - snow!) I wear knee length flat boots (with a suitable dress - usually Ill go quite short on the dress if Im wearing boots).

I generally wear a hairpiece - sometimes a small fascinator.

Im going to a wedding next week and am wearing a new blue dress, very 60s style, long sleeves that are poofed out at the ends, low cut, swirly skirt, Ill be wearing low heels and fishnet tights, with a little pair of ballerina pumps for later on in the evening - if the weather is very bad Ill wear boots with the dress - it works well with boots. I have a hairpiece, not sure on the fascinator, and Ive bought some peacock feathers as the blue of the dress is peacock blue, and am going to try them out on necklaces or as earrings - not sure on jewellery yet though, may keep it simpler than peacock feathers!!

I usually have a wrap for summer weddings, I lose the wraps a lot though!! As next weeks dress has long sleeves I wont bother with a wrap, Ive a formal coat that matches the dress colour so Ill have that for the church part.

I like a fancy handbag, so Ive gotten one that matches the low heels Ill be wearing. I have 2 very expensive handbags that tend to go with everything but felt like treating myself to a new (not very expensive) bag this time.

I prefer dressing for a winter wedding tbh as Ive had a few occasions for summer weddings where Ive a very summery outfit planned and the day turns out to be freezing or lashing rain - at least dressing for a winter wedding you know what youre getting!!

Gatica

I love buying dresses and have a wardrobe with a good number of dressy dresses. I buy mainly during the christmas sale, and have often got stuff at 70% off in Monsoon. I've managed to get a couple of lovely Karen Millen dresses a few years ago when they were on sale and have got great use out of them. I've worn my dresses to society balls, weddings, etc...
Some I've never had the opportunity to wear yet, and others I've managed to already wear several times. I would wear something different if it was same group of friends going to same functions, or reuse dresses if it's different groups of friends or family.
I don't think I've even worn skirt/top, I mainly wear dresses. Lately I've been favouring 1950's dresses, below the knee with a full skirt. I used to wear very fitted dresses in my younger days. I also have some full lenth dresses, but they don't get used as often these days.
I've never worn fascinators/hats until a couple of years ago. I've now got two hats and a fascinator. I've worn each only once. I've never gotten my hair or make-up done for anything. I normally don't wear make-up and usually have my hair down. So for special occasions I wear my hear up with pins and some kind of pretty clips or twist, and wear full coverage make-up that I do myself.
I'm always cold, so I always bring a nice scarf with me, and gloves, if it's winter.
In terms of shoes, I always wear a heel out, though I try to keep it to a manageable height. If I'm staying at the hotel for a wedding I usually bring a pair of comfier heels for later on in the night :rolleyes:

headmaster

It would help if you told us what you're like. Are you fat, small, tall, good looking, uxxy, pudzy, round, hair, thin legs, fat legs, etc, etc, etc,. Know what i mean?

EricPraline

tinkerbell wrote: »

Hair down, fascinator, black dress, heels. I love wearing black - if you have non-black accessories you can totally work it for a wedding.

Not sure I'd agree. Always thought it's unusual when you see a group of women turning up to a wedding in black dresses that resemble funeral attire. I know that white dresses at a wedding are a faux-pas, but equally I've been at weddings where there has been a large congregation of women who obviously independently selected black gowns. The result was that unfortunately the whole thing looked rather funereal.

schoolhouse

I like to wear resses in strong colours, neutrals and pale colours do not suit me at all, I usually have my hair up with with a facinator or nice comb to compliment dress, comfortable height heels and a nice cluch bag. simple elegence always wins over high fashion in my opinion

herrys

When it comes to buying a dress to wear to a wedding, I have two approaches. Firstly, my good intentions are to get either a sale bargain (never works) or something from high street – usually from Topshop, as I know their dresses fit me really well (my favourite wedding outfits were from the Kate Moss Topshop range and Reiss

iguana

headmaster wrote: »

It would help if you told us what you're like. Are you fat, small, tall, good looking, uxxy, pudzy, round, hair, thin legs, fat legs, etc, etc, etc,. Know what i mean?

Headmaster, I've already have to pull you up on your inappropriate posting on this forum. I suggest you read the charter and accept that this isn't after hours or I'll have to permaban you

lighterthought

Thanks all for your responses! Great ideas.

The two nicest dresses I have are an LK Bennet one in leopard print, and another dark blue pencil dress. I love both, but some (possible pregnancy? fingers crossed!) changes lately have made me a little thicker around the waist, so the form-fitting dresses may not be the best option for me this time, unless I wear a waist-cincher underneath.
I bought both dresses with the intent to wear them lots and not need to buy new dresses, but I think I need to find something that doesnt focus so much on the small waist that's normally there! I have been contemplating either a black dress I have that's gorgeous but more flattering for my current silhouette, or a 50's style full skirt and blouse.

Not sure what to do with my hair, it's long and bright red. Have appt at the hair dresser already, might have her put lots of loose curls into it, but I love fascinators and have one I'd love to wear but it might not work with big, voluminous hairstyle, you know?

I'll defo do my own makeup. Just because, like most of us, I don't have the cash or time to go all-out on someone else's wedding! (Had mine done professionally for my own wedding so will prob do the same style she did on me then).

I love heels. So much. Probably should put some flats in my bag? I have a gorgeous DKNY that I got for my 30th that is my go-to bag for any and all occasions

username123

lighterthought wrote: »

Probably should put some flats in my bag?

I bought a great pair of sparkly 'ballerina slippers in a bag' in Heatons for 8 euro last week - looking forward to going from heels to comfies

Gatica

You can always opt for an umpire line floaty dress. It'll still look great and won't be as tight on the waist.
Again, Monsoon for me would be a go-to place for that style of dresses.
e.g.
http://www.monsoon.co.uk/all-dresses/alara-dress/invt/95307896/
http://www.monsoon.co.uk/missouri-maxi-dress/invt/95316896/