Wedding Guest Dresses (2024)

The chances of sharing a friend or family member’s happy day with them can become a daunting one as you start struggling to find unique, fun wedding guest dresses that you can wear to each individual occasion. Shop the collection of wedding guest dresses at NewYorkDress!

Selecting a Wedding Guest Dress

The best wedding guest dresses must fill two simple criteria: make you look and feel GREAT while not overshadowing the bride! Other than those two simple requirements, picking a dress to wear to another person’s wedding leaves a lot to an individual’s choice and style, so making sure you have an outfit that’s suitable to the kind of wedding you’re going to attend can help you narrow the choices down a bit further.

When selecting wedding guest dresses, think about whether the wedding and reception will be held indoors, or outside. A cute little mini dress might be perfect for an indoor, co*cktail-party-style reception, but if the wedding is being held somewhere with a breeze you might wind up showing off more than you meant to! Pick long dresses with more volume if weddings are being held outside, as this will help protect you from the elements as well as giving your dress motion and energy. Be careful not to be too over-the-top, though, as a long train or dramatic embellishments might wind up drawing attention away from the wedding party – a serious breach of rule number two!

Formal Wedding Guest Attire

Sometimes, a wedding can be an extremely formal occasion, and multiple dresses might be required for alternate stages in the event. Families will often attend a rehearsal dinner, in which case another dress may be needed! If the reception is likely to be informal but the wedding is being held in a church, a more conservative look for the ceremony can be changed for a sensual party dress for later on. Gauge the formality of the wedding by your knowledge of the couple, the kind of invitation they send out (hand-engraved or Facebook invite?), and the location where it’s being held. The more formal the wedding, the more formal the reception is likely to be, and if you find yourself picking a gown for both these occasions you’ll probably want something both conservative and full-length. No matter what kind of wedding it is, however, make sure that you don’t wear a white dress – that’s the Bride’s province, and guests should leave plenty of room in any shade to avoid stealing her thunder.

Selecting a Flattering Silhouette

No matter what kind of dress you want to wear or image you’d like to project, if you pick a silhouette or style that isn’t flattering on your body, you won’t be happy with the end result. Take stock of your physical features and try on different styles of dresses before you choose the dress you want to wear and remember that if you look best in a simple dress, you can always dress it up to create different looks at other occasions. Look for features in wedding guest dresses that can be used for other occasions, or that you wouldn’t mind going out on the town in – unless the wedding is extremely formal, in which case, refer to the previous section. By buying a wedding guest dress you can wear to other kinds of events, you’ll double your wardrobe for half the price – and that’s always a way to feel good about yourself.

Find Complimenting Accessories

By picking cute, complimentary accessories to go with your wedding guest dress, you’ll be able to bring your own unique style into your look. It’s a good idea to have a small bag or clutch with you when you head to the reception, as you may have makeup or other supplies that you want to bring to the table with you. Choose subdued, classic items – most weddings aren’t the place for bold, attention-grabbing pieces that buck general fashion trends – and buy quality, since high-quality earrings and jewelry can be worn over and over again, and looked at as an investment rather than a one-time purchase.

Find the Perfect Dress at NewYorkDress

No matter what kind of wedding you’re attending, remembering the two rules of selecting the perfect wedding guest dress will help make your search much easier. If you find yourself with several dresses to choose from, ask yourself which will genuinely make you look and feel your best. Once you have that dress, try and assess whether it’s a demure and sophisticated piece which will help add to the tableau created by the event’s other guests, or whether it’s an attention-grabbing piece that will make everyone look your way. If the former, then congratulations – you’ve found your dress! If the latter, then you may want to take a moment to remember that as a wedding guest, it’s your responsibility to help make the bride and groom’s marriage day special – not to hog the limelight with your own fashion sense, no matter how stellar it might be.

Each of the wedding guest dresses here at www.newyorkdress.com have been selected for its beauty, quality, and appropriateness for a wedding venue. To get an idea of the kinds of dresses that are available for you to wear to the upcoming weddings on your social calendar, look through the options in this section. You’ll be sure to find the perfect wedding guest look for the occasions!

Wedding Guest Dresses (2024)

FAQs

What should a female guest wear to a wedding? ›

Women wedding guests should wear full-length dresses, be it a ballgown, a sheath or an A-line dress. High heels are strongly recommended. Feel free to accessorize with opulent jewelry and even elbow-length white silk gloves.

What is the dress code for a guest at a wedding? ›

1) Do Consider the Wedding Dress Code

Black Tie: floor length gowns, black ties, tuxedos. Formal: floor length gowns, tuxedos optional, black suits acceptable. Semi-Formal: below the knee dresses, dress shirts, slacks. Casual: sundresses, collared shirts, khakis.

What color dress is OK to wear to a wedding? ›

Neutral shades are timeless options that won't detract from the wedding's formal atmosphere. For a more colorful look, consider wearing shades of blue, lavender, or pink to show that you're in the celebratory spirit. If the wedding is in a tropical destination, opt for colors like yellow, orange, and green.

Is it OK to wear black to a wedding? ›

Luckily, times have changed, and given the fact that wedding fashion etiquette norms have shifted over the years, we now have good news for fans of coal-colored ensembles. “It is absolutely acceptable for a female to wear a black dress to a wedding,” Swann advises.

What color should a female guest wear to a wedding? ›

For evening gowns, avoid black and chose pastel, muted, or jewel tones. However, semi-formal dress is a bit more lax and is usually what people are used to wearing to weddings. It's suits and/or slacks and a dinner jacket with evening or co*cktail dresses.

Can I have bare legs at a wedding? ›

I have advised readers that while bare legs are fine even at the most formal events, hosiery also is perfectly acceptable as long as it's skin tone and sheer. I've just returned from a wedding where I wore my new bargain ($10!) black sequined mini and consignment store jeweled black shoes (also $10).

What color is taboo to wear to a wedding? ›

When attending a wedding, it is important to avoid wearing any color that might be too close to white or off-white. The most common shades that should be avoided are: Ivory: A pale-yellowish shade of white. Champagne: A warm beige color with a hint of gold.

What is the attire for a 5pm wedding? ›

If a wedding is taking place at 4 or 5 p.m., you should wear something that easily transitions from day to night. A dark suit and tie are appropriate for men, while a co*cktail dress or a long skirt and top combination would work perfectly for women.

Should I wear a short or long dress to a wedding? ›

If it's black tie, a long dress will be better but a formal short dress should be fine. If it's semi-formal, a short dress will be better but an informal long dress should be fine.

What is the average cash gift for a wedding? ›

She says many brides and grooms actually prefer it. On average the typical cash gift is around $150, she says. Still, though, Hill says there are some exceptions. “Some people don't think that's [giving money] a great idea,” Hill said.

Is it OK to wear red to a wedding? ›

"Tradition dictates guests avoid wearing red out of fear that it could take attention away from the happy couple,” explains Hurwitz. “Visually, it's quite bold. In a photo, your eye is immediately drawn to the color, especially if it's next to neutrals like white, black, gray, or beige.”

What does it mean to wear red to a wedding? ›

Turns out, wearing red to a wedding means to some that “you've slept with the groom.” “Old Wives' Tale, but yeah,” Mitchell explained. However, both wedding planners agreed on a more modern reason for not wearing red: It could be seen as a way to grab the attention away from the bride.

What do you wear to a 5 o'clock wedding? ›

The staff suggests that if a wedding is taking place at 4 p.m. or 5 p.m., you should wear something that easily transitions from day to night; any ceremony after 6 p.m. should be strictly co*cktail.

What should a female guest wear to a summer wedding? ›

When it comes to comfort on a hot summer day (especially if the celebration is outside), a casual dress code is ideal. But don't forget this is an important event. Showing up in shorts and a T-shirt is not a good idea. Pretty, flowy dresses paired with sandals works for women.

What should a 80 year old woman wear to a wedding? ›

Pantsuits, jumpsuits, and dresses are appropriate choices for casual weddings. Women over 60 can choose knee-length, tea-length, or full-length dresses for most wedding themes. A full-length gown is the most suitable choice for formal or black-tie events.

Do you have to wear wedding colors as a guest? ›

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.

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