Wedding season is amongst us and you’ve received an invitation, now what? Being asked to become apart of the wedding party makes this part a very easy task as the bride or groom usually has the attire decided upon for you. Guests attending the wedding are expected to participate in the overall mood or experience of this lovely event. Chances are you have pieces in your closet that can be interchanged with new items once you have decided on your overall look. Below are a few things to consider when picking out your threads.
- Season/Weather
- Indoor or Outdoor
- Time of Day
- Venue
- Themes
- Dress Code
Season/Weather
This one should be pretty obvious but there are still a couple of things that are easy to forget. For an outdoor wedding, It was not only very hot but rained on my wedding day. We were prepared with a rain plan and provided the guest with party favors such as UV400 sunglasses with a thank you note in the armband, mosquito repellant bracelets , ponchos https://amzn.to/2IKN0uq and hand held fans before everyone moved inside after the chair were placed inside. It’s only smart as a guest to check the weather and be prepared even if the reception is primarily inside.
Indoor or Outdoor
Imagine wearing your best heels just to show up and find out that you’d be on grass or sand all day. (Oh yeah, I have something for that https://amzn.to/2JX6X4d ). Knowing if the ceremony or reception (or both) is indoor or outdoor allows you to better prepare for the night. Most people aren’t fond of finding out suddenly that they are dealing with bugs (btw-> https://amzn.to/2IGtcsb ), high or low temperatures, dark spaces or bright spaces without the chance to grab sunshades and sun block. If it isn’t on the invitation, the wedding party should expect guest to ask as that information would help the couple’s day run smoothly as well.
Time of Day
This is where we get more specific.
In my option, a ceremony that begins before 5:00 p.m. falls under the umbrella of a brunch/lunch reception and requires nothing but an above or at the knee dress for women and men are able to lose the suit jacket or opt for a vest. After 5:00 p.m. dresses fall below the knee, t-length (ankle length) and floor length the later the shindig. Either way it goes, there no limits on jewelry, neck accessories, collar accessories, shoes, etc. As long as your comfortable all event long and confident in how good look-the options are endless.
Venue
It doesn’t hurt to dress for the occasion and it’s venue. You wouldn’t show up to a park with a full length dress or a pool side garden party with a full buffet wearing a long train following the most sliming (super tight) gown you could find. On the flip side, a barn venue would not only present high temperatures but doesn’t require such a formal wardrobe (unless specified by couple). It helps to know the venue and give yourself permission to blend in with the walls, they chose it for a reason!
Themes
Weddings themes are endless and include themes such as decades, color schemes, rustic, modern, whimsical, bohemian, cultural, casual, etc. For my wedding, we went for a decade them and color scheme to give guest more options: 1920’s Art Deco; jewel tones. Breaking them down would be a whole article (write & request if you wish to read it) but be a good sport and add to the fun. When you see the whole thing come together, you’ll be glad you did.
Dress Code
If you’ve ever gone dancing, then you are no stranger to this one. Dress codes are put in place to avoid unwanted guests and\or have uniformed photos. Dress codes include, white tie, black tie, black tie optional, beach casual/formal, formal, semi-formal,cocktail, dressy casual, etc.
Lastly, avoid white, black, and show stopping red unless otherwise specified by the bride and groom.
BYE BYE NOW!
