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.
Floral lace and dreamy chiffon fabrics are perfect for a springtime wedding. Experiment with bright, fresh colors, or soft, dusty pastels to complete your spring wedding outfit! Add matching accessories and you'll be beaming with pride—and with style.
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.
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.
As a bridal consultant for over 35 years I would suggest you wear the same attire. If the church is close by where you live or staying and you have a couple of hours before the reception then wear a Sunday dress to the church than after the ceremony change into a formal dress for the reception.
Using a color palette of pinks, oranges, gold, green creates a romantic and timeless look for years to come. The subtle shade variations with gold accents creates a warm and inviting ambiance, perfect for a spring wedding celebration.
Yellow, pink, lilac, and green dresses are all great options to wear as a wedding guest. Dresses with patterns and floral designs also work well for the spring season—just be sure you aren't wearing the same color as the bride's bridal party, and of course, stay away from white! Can I wear black to a wedding?
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.
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.
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.
On average, brides try on about 4–7 dresses, but we recommend no more than 10. The more wedding gowns you try on, the more confusing things may get. When the bridal gown selection is too big, brides tend to get overwhelmed and struggle to remember what the first gown they tried on looked like.
While some brides prefer to maintain tradition with a single gown, others embrace the opportunity to showcase multiple styles that cater to different aspects of their big day. One of the main reasons brides opt for two dresses is to have one for the ceremony and another for the reception.
We are indeed commanded to dress up. There are examples of those commands being fulfilled by priests and non-priests; Jews and Gentiles. Dressing up shows respect for God and worship as we publicly covenant with Him.
Can I wear ripped jeans to church? It depends on the church. Some churches are more lenient than others when it comes to their members' clothing choices. If you're not sure about this and if you don't want to disrespect other people that go to your church, we advise you to ask them first.
As long as it's not considered culturally inappropriate or against the dress code, you can wear black to a wedding. Depending on where the couple is exchanging vows, which season their special day is taking place in, and what time of day everything begins, black may or may not be your best color option.
Can you wear a black dress or ensemble to a wedding? In short, yes, but the key is in the styling. You want to avoid looking like you dressed for a funeral, and your outfit should feel like it was chosen with a special occasion in mind!
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.
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.
Totally fine!Just make sure they're dressy enough for the nuptials. Start with tailored trousers and a polished blouse, or make things easy for yourself by grabbing a matching blazer. Pant suits are a great way to go, or you can coordinate the color of your pants with your top and have a monochrome moment.
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