You are excited about being invited to the wedding of someone who is special in your life but you want to be attired in something appropriate yet fashionable. First thing to remember is to stay away from white clothing so you aren’t stealing the attention from the bride. For the same reason, it is not in good taste to wear a skirt with extremely high slits or a blouse or dress that shows too much cleavage.
Next you want to choose an outfit that can be worn again to other events. It can be an expensive experience if you spend a couple of hundred dollars on a smart dress and then only wear it once or twice. It may take several shopping trips, but you will find classy and fashionable attire that makes you feel well-dressed for the occasion but hasn’t exhausted your entire clothing budget for the next year. If you have more than one wedding to attend in the next few months, consider the possible guest list and if there’s likely to be little crossover of attendees, you will likely to be able to wear the same dress to all. If the ceremony is in a place of worship, be sure to be respectful and wear a shawl or dressy jacket, if your outfit is sleeveless. You may also be glad of the bit of extra warmth if the event stretches on into the evening.
For a summer wedding, a pretty sundress in a pastel shade is always a suitable outfit. Try to find out what the bridesmaids will be wearing and avoid that colour too. Black used to be worn exclusively at evening weddings but is becoming more acceptable in the daytime. If you are very close to the happy couple, you will likely select something more special, but if your attendance is more of an obligation and you expect you will rarely if ever see them again, then you can likely spend less or even revive an outfit from your present wardrobe.
If the wedding is outdoors, choose appropriate and classy low-heeled flats. These shoes will also be perfect for dancing later. For a church or hall wedding, it’s totally acceptable to wear heels to the early part of the day, and take along your more sensible footwear in a fashionable shoe bag to change into for the dance. Do not kick off your shoes and dance barefoot.
Men who are invited to a formal wedding may feel the need to rent a tuxedo, but if the event is black tie preferred, a good charcoal suit will be adequate. More common in today’s relaxed atmosphere is the black tie optional where more casual wear is accepted. If the invitation doesn’t state any dress preferences, just dress for the season.
Just remember that you can always dress up for the occasion but dressing down is not acceptable, so put on your very best, be confident you look great, and enjoy the event!
