Wedding Guest Fashion: What NOT To Wear

Wedding guest fashion fail

It doesn’t matter whether you are the mother of the bride, childhood friend, or merely a female workplace acquaintance of the bride, if you are invited to her wedding, you must make sure you dress appropriately.  The last thing any female wedding guest needs is to upset the happy couple by doing any one of the following 5 wedding guest fashion faux pas.

First and foremost, never – and I mean EVER – outshine the bride.  Your dress should be sophisticated but not overboard.  So avoid “wedding gown” attributes such as trains, lacy embellishments, and of course, the color white.  The latter characteristic is a particularly important no-no, as only the bride should be wearing white at her wedding.  The bottom line here is to leave the prom dress at home, especially if it’s white!

Second, avoid dressing like a complete slut.  This sort of ties in with the first point, in that a slutty outfit can also serve to outshine – or at a minimum take attention away from – the happy bride.  In addition, a wedding is a family affair, not a pick-up joint, so dressing slutty is inappropriate, period.  So avoid dresses that show tons of cleavage, are ultra short or expose most of the leg, or are of the see-through variety.

At the opposite end of the spectrum is the third wedding guest fashion faux pas: dressing too casually. Of course, this largely depends on the venue or location; for example, outfits at beach or destination weddings must be more casual by default than those worn at traditional formal affairs.  That said, things like shorts, jeans, and sweatshirts are examples of articles of clothing that should never be worn at a wedding no matter where it takes place.

The fourth no-no is wearing a dress that is the same color as the bridesmaid dresses.   Not only will this annoy the bridesmaids (not to mention the bride…), but you might also periodically be mistaken for one of them throughout the evening, which is definitely an annoyance.  If possible, check in advance to determine what colors the bridesmaids will be wearing so you can avoid wearing something too similar.

Finally, avoid wearing black.  Remember that this is a wedding, not a funeral.  Yes that little black dress might knock ‘em out at the clubs, but black is not a good wedding color.  Vibrant colors that exude happiness and joy are much better, particularly for an outdoor or summer wedding.  Plus, at least as it relates to summer weddings, wearing black will likely make you sweat, as the color black absorbs heat from the sun.

So, there you have it – 5 wedding guest fashion faux pas that all female wedding guests need to avoid at all costs.  To summarize, it really boils down to a couple of key points.  First, do not outshine the bride.  Second, dress appropriately for the venue.  Third, be careful of the dress color(s) you choose.  For even more tips, check out this article of what not to wear to a wedding.  Following this simple advice will allow you to have a great time at the next wedding you attend, without the risk of ticking off anyone within the bridal party.  Good luck!

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