Summer Wedding Fashion Rules

Wedding season is (nearly) upon us, and the age-old dilemma of what to wear strikes us again… Of course, we all know not to wear white (though I once had a flatmate who thought she was good enough friends with the bride to flaunt this rule, and, well, she wasn’t after that!) but are there any other wedding season rules we should be following?

1. Make an effort – this means, strictly no leggings! Dressing overly casual to someone’s wedding tells them that their special day isn’t important enough for you to get dressed up for, which let’s face it is a bit of a slap in the face for the bride. Rubber flip flops are also a no-no (until well into the dancing anyway), even for a beach wedding. A pair of pretty flat sandals is so much more appropriate.

2. Wear some colour – a wedding is a celebration, and you’re undoubtedly going to crop up in official photos where your all-black ensemble is going to make you look like you got lost on the way to a funeral. If you must wear a black dress, accessorize with really bold and colourful pieces, like a belt, scarf or shawl, and go all out with the jewellery to show you are at least trying to make an effort.

3. Don’t be afraid to ask advice from the bride (or her friends or bridesmaids) to gauge the level of formality. While there’s usually a helpful hint on the invitation, you may feel out of place if you don your best formal matchy-matchy ensemble complete with hat or fascinator and turn up to find everyone else in floaty maxi dresses channeling boho chic. I know that when friends asked me what they should wear to my wedding last year, I didn’t find it annoying at all – I was pleased to tell them that I had imagined girls in pretty summery dresses and men in casual shirts and trousers (no ties).

4. Weddings can be a long haul – even though you may prefer to only carry a tiny clutch, your feet might thank you for stashing a pair of flats somewhere ahead of time! Ditto a shawl if you might get cold, some powder for your nose (again, think of the photos) and stain removing wipes which you can be sure someone will appreciate during the evening!

5. If it’s a different group of friends, you can totally repeat the outfit. Attending weddings is an expensive business – apart from the fact that these days you’re just as likely to need to fly to Morocco for a wedding as to attend one right next door, there’s also the hen night (possibly shower too) and wedding present. You don’t need to go broke buying a different dress for every wedding you go to. No one (worth caring about) will judge you for doubling up.

6. Wearing a print rather than a block colour ensures you won’t be dressed the same as the bridesmaids! As it’s so easy to choose a pretty summer print, why risk potential embarrassment?

Let us know if you have any other tips for wedding style etiquette in the comments section below. Later this week, we’ll be putting together some outfit suggestions to cover all kinds of wedding types so stay tuned! Oh, and the photo above is of all the guests at my wedding looking so lovely!