Peak wedding season is almost upon us, which means a slew of invites is about to hit your mailbox (if they haven't already). And once you've RSVPd accordingly, then comes the hard part: what do you wear? Not all nuptials are created equal, so finding the best wedding guest dress for each event is no seamless feat. You need an effortless and breezydressfor the sand-set destination, a polished gown for your friend's black-tie affair, and an in-between style for a semi-formal ceremony. Where's one to begin?
Arielle Siboni, Ready-to-Wear Fashion Director at Bloomingdale's, advises you first take a deep breath—inhale, exhale—and then look to where you would for any other shopping decision: thefashion trendcycle. She shares with Marie Claire that the industry's method-behind-the-madness is a great starting point for you to consider when seeking a wedding guest dress. "And there are so many fun, more emotional trends to try this season in formal wear: bright colors, paillettes, fringe, and new exciting details like bows, ruffles, and rosettes are the trends I'd try to incorporate into my wedding guest look this year," says Siboni.
Ahead, the fashion director offers insight into which specific dresses to keep your eye on for the spring and summer 2023 season and breaks it down per dress code. (If you're looking ahead to winter guest dress season, we have a guide to that too.) You'll want to have your credit card on hand, too, because we've curated a ready-to-shop edit of stunning wedding guest dresses.
Formal Wedding Guest Dresses
(Image credit: Bernadette)
"Black tie used to be about formal gowns, but rules have relaxed over the past few years," says Siboni. "Shorter lengths, for instance, are becoming more acceptable. However, I do love an occasion to get dressed up, so I would personally wear something more formal to a black-tie wedding." In particular, the market expert says she'll be "trying out paillettes or a strapless gown in a fun color" for a formal spring wedding. Look also to ruffles and dresses with excess volume for an all-out effect.
"For a co*cktail-themed wedding, where the dress code is a bit more relaxed, I would experiment with a more fashion-forward trend: fringe and rosettes are two of my favorites this spring that I think they are perfect for any wedding," shares Siboni. And, as you can see with Self-Portrait and Amanda Uprichard's girly mini dresses, bow detailing taps into a fun and flirty feeling that's perfectly on theme with the romantic occasion.
"I love trying something that isn’t traditional for a more casual wedding—a matching set is always a great option, or an easy dress with a bold print, for example," shares the Bloomingdale's expert. The key takeaway here is that effortless comfort reigns supreme when dressing for a casual wedding.
Free People Bluebell Mixed Floral Cotton Maxi Dress
Farm Rio Red Heart Maxi Dress
Hill House Home The Ophelia Dress
Allina Liu Says Gah! Camila Dress
Beach Wedding Guest Dresses
(Image credit: Sensi Studio)
Siboni says to lean into the laidback energy of the setting when picking out a dress for a beach wedding. Sartorially speaking, that might look like "halter and strapless silhouettes and sheer elements on dresses. Also," she adds, "what better time to experiment with a bold color than for a summer beach wedding?"
forte_forte Sleeveless Shift Dress
Cult Gaia Janelle Strapless Printed Gown
Reiss Roya Halter Neck Pleat Midi Dress
Veronica Beard Radley Halter Neck High-Low Dress
DÔEN Long Deep V-Neck Slip
MILLY Sheer Wave Color Blocked Midi Dress
Meet the Fashion Expert
Arielle Siboni
Arielle Siboni is the Ready-to-Wear Fashion Director at Bloomingdale’s, overseeing contemporary, advanced contemporary, and designer apparel.In her role, Arielle leads trend forecasting in the womenswear space and translates trends in an accessible way, making it easy to discover pieces that complement one’s personal style. Arielle works alongside merchants to curate an apparel assortment of up-and-coming and established designers, and the editorial looks seen in Bloomingdale’s campaigns, leading to a cohesive fashion voice each season.
If the wedding dress code is casual, that means you can wear a more informal dress, like a sundress or shirt dress. You still want to look nice, but you don't have to wear anything too fussy. Cute floral prints and breezy lightweight fabrics are fantastic for this dress code.
If you are a guest at two different weddings, feel free to wear the same appropriate dress at both. So long as a guest's attire does not compete for attention with that of the bride, the bridal party, and the family of the bride and groom, most people will not even notice the dress was worn previously. Not rude at all.
The time of a wedding, for instance, can be hugely helpful in determining what to wear. A morning wedding typically calls for casual dress, while a ceremony after 5 p.m. generally calls for formal attire. The location can also help decode the dress code.
What colors can you wear to a spring wedding? Pastel shades and floral prints will always make us think of spring, so when choosing what to wear to a spring wedding, you can't go wrong with either.
Green, earthy colors are perfect for a spring wedding color palette, evoking a sense of new beginnings and growth. Consider using shades of olive green, sage, or eucalyptus as a base color for your decor, and pair it with other earthy tones such as browns, beiges, or creams.
If your gown is restricting movement or if you want to protect it from being damaged, it's a good idea to change your wedding dress for the reception, allowing you to sit and dance comfortably.
The colour scheme, when it comes to what to wear, is designed for the bridal party i.e. the groom, groomsmen, bridesmaids, pageboys etc. Unless you're in that bridal party, you'd be best to steer clear of trying to match them.
Absolutely, if that's what you want!There really is no etiquette that says you shouldn't. All you need to consider is whether a wedding veil will suit your personal style, be comfortable to wear and go well with your outfit and hairstyle.
As long as the event calls for a particular level of formality and you won't upstage the couple or the wedding party, it's safe to wear black to the wedding.
Men's semi-formal and co*cktail dress codes, also known as party and after-five attire, are for special events. Both call for a dressier, sophisticated look, but there are some differences. Semi-formal dressing is typically more reserved, focusing on darker colours such as grey, black and blue.
Pretty, flowy dresses paired with sandals works for women. An open-collared shirt, chinos and boat shoes are great for men. Keep in mind that if you're not sure how casual is "casual" then it's always better to be overdressed than underdressed (just don't show up in a gown or a tuxedo).
Between "black-tie optional" and "semi-formal," the language can be tricky to decipher. "While many couples would like their guests to arrive in black-tie attire, the most common wedding dress code is formal attire," says Alicia Mae, CEO of the New Jersey-based wedding planning company ILÈ Events.
Men don't need to worry about a tuxedo; a tailored suit (with or without a tie) is perfect. Women can wear a short dress or elegant separates—as long as they're still dressy. This is an ideal occasion to break out a little black dress.
It doesn't matter if the dress code requests "casual" attire, jeans, T-shirts, shorts, flip-flops, and sneakers are never appropriate to wear as a wedding guest. Show respect for the bride and groom by dressing formally.
As a general rule, "wearing black is totally acceptable, as the hue is very versatile," says bridal stylist Julie Sabatino of The Stylish Bride. Make the shade work for you—at any type of wedding—with these ideas for choosing the right fabrice, length, and accessories.
As long as the event calls for a particular level of formality and you won't upstage the couple or the wedding party, it's safe to wear black to the wedding.
Not only are there more colors and prints to choose from—florals, linen and lightweight cottons are suddenly weather- and season-appropriate fabrics and motifs once again—it also feels like you have more options when it comes to embellishment and accessories.
Though it's technically OK to wear black at any time of the day, Aleece says it's better suited for late afternoon and evening weddings in the fall and winter, along with formal and black tie weddings in the early spring.
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