Guest Appearance: What To Wear To A Wedding
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Guest Appearance: What To Wear To A Wedding

You'll be the guest-of-honour in these outfits...

Diary full of weddings? Wardrobe looking a little lacklustre? Help is on hand. From vibrant shades to stylish separates, we’ve rounded up the best wedding guest outfits to help you dress for the occasion…

The Country & Town House Responsible Buyers’ Guide

What Do Women Wear To Weddings?

When it comes to weddings, women have plenty of choices to choose from:

  • Mini dresses (but nothing super short)
  • Midi dresses
  • Maxi dresses (although make sure the style and colour doesn’t clash with the bride or bridesmaids)
  • Jumpsuits
  • Suits

Do Weddings Have A Dress Code?

Dress codes vary from wedding to wedding, and are usually outline on the invitation if relevant. If there isn’t a specific dress code, then it’s safe to assume that guests are expected to dress up in smart, formal to semi-formal attire.

The one major rule for weddings, at least in the west, is that women don’t wear white, as this is a colour reserved for the bride.

Guests at a wedding clapping while wearing formal outfits

Samantha Gades, Unsplash

Wedding Guest Outfits Through The Seasons

With the way weddings work, you usually receive your Save The Date months (and sometimes years) in advance, meaning it can be a bit difficult to envision what you’re going to wear. One way to get around it is by thinking about the season, and dressing accordingly – we’ve shared some of our tips below:

What To Wear To A Spring Wedding (March, April, May)

With the weather finally warming up, now’s a good opportunity to shed a few layers and opt for wedding guests outfits that are made up of lighter colours and materials. In terms of colours and prints, pastels, jewel tones and florals (this is spring, after all) are a great place to start, as these will fit in with the general vibe of the wedding and the season itself.

What To Wear To A Summer Wedding (June, July, August)

During the hotter months (or at a balmy destination wedding), the dress code tends to be a little more relaxed and allows for lighter, breathable fabrics like cotton and linen – although that doesn’t mean you can rock up in a casual summer dress. Strapless gowns, maxi dresses and jumpsuits all make good choices at this time of year, dressed up in bright, summery colours and bold prints.

What To Wear To A Autumn Wedding (September, October, November)

Wedding guests outfits can embrace richer tones and fabrics come autumn, as the cooling temperatures allow for more choice in fabrics and styles. Deep reds, oranges and golds, as well as greens, are usually popular colours for autumn ceremonies. It’s worth noting that the weather also starts to get a little unpredictable at this time of year – so you might want to wear long sleeves, shawls or jackets as a means of layering up.

What To Wear To A Winter Wedding (December, January, February)

With winter weddings comes a lot of cold, so make sure you layer up where you can with long sleeves and hemlines, jackets, shawls and even scarves. Classic silhouettes in dark and jewel tones match well with winter themes – especially since this is a time of year when black tie dress codes are most popular – matched with long gowns, long-sleeves jumpsuits and a classic suit. Velvet is also a great choice in terms of materials, as it will appear luxurious while keeping you warm.

Wedding Guest Outfit Ideas For Every Kind Of Wedding

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Green dress | wedding guest outfits

Acler Temple

Midi Dress (Size UK 12), £129

mywardrobehq.com

Gold brooch

DIOR

Vintage Rose Brooch, £212.75

vestiairecollective.com

Gold earrings

Susan Caplan

Pre-Loved Dior Gold-Plated & Cubic-Zirconia Earrings, £625

selfridges.com

Red heels

Gianvito Rossi

Red Suede and PVC Pointed High Heel (Size EU 40), £265

sellierknightsbridge.com

Red dress

Emilia Wickstead

Cherry Red June Fit-and-Flare Dress, £256.50

hardlyeverwornit.com

Pink suit | wedding guest outfits

The Deck

Knatchbull Single Breasted Jacket, £1,295

thedecklondon.com

Knatchbull Fitted Waistcoat, £650

thedecklondon.com 

Knatchbull Cigarette Trouser, £695

thedecklondon.com 

Pink bag

Lalage Beaumont

Fonteyn Clutch Orinoco ‘Croc’ Print Calf Leather Handbag In Rose, £595

lalagebeaumont.com

Pink heels

Fairfax & Favor

The Epsom Women’s Court Shoe In Blush Suede, £225

fairfaxandfavor.com

Annoushka

18ct Yellow Gold Seed Pearl Chain Bracelet, £750

annoushka.com

Gold bag

Tusting

Hettie Bag, £365

tusting.co.uk

Woman in blue skirt and white jacket

Lalage Beaumont

Hermione Tweed Jacket, £850

lalagebeaumont.com

Chrissie Silk Dupion Skirt, £779

lalagebeaumont.com

Gold ring

FOPE

Flex’it Ring, £1,260

fope.com

Woman in blue wrap and hat

Jane Taylor London

Xanthe Hat, £3,600

janetaylorlondon.com

Purple wedge heel

Malone Souliers

Perla Wedge Sandals, £550

malonesouliers.com

Woman in floral dress and hat

Suzannah London

Montecito Shirt Dress, £1,150

suzannah.com

La Plage Hat, £645

suzannah.com

Green dress | wedding guest outfits

Rotate Birger Christensen

Non Puff-Sleeve Recycled Polyester-Blend Satin Midi Dress (Multiple Sizes), rent from £46

selfridgesrental.com 

Silver bag

Anya Hindmarch

Neeson Tassel Clutch, rent from £48

reanyahindmarch.com

Silver barrette

Chanel

Barrette 2015 Faux Pearl & Crystal Hair Slide, rent from £23

mywardrobehq.com

Silver heel

Freya Rose

Helena Heels (Multiple Sizes), rent from £8

mywardrobehq.com

Self-Portrait

Pleated Woven Midi Dress (Multiple Sizes), rent from £55.89

hurrcollective.com

Blue floral dress | wedding guest outfits

KITRI

Keira Mint Cherub Print Maxi Dress, £180

kitristudio.com

Blue heels

Valentino Garavani

VLogo Signature Patent Leather Slingback Pumps, £850

valentino.com

Blue clutch

Hermès

Kelly Wallet, £1,950

sellierknightsbridge.com

Blue dress | wedding guest outfits

ROKSANDA

Venturi Midi Dress, £1,395

harrods.com

Lock & Co.

Agnes Headband, £745

lockhatters.com

Yellow handbag

Jil Sander

Cannolo Bag, £1,130

jilsander.com

Brown dress with purple bow

RIXO

Leanna Bow-Embellished Silk Midi Dress (Multiple Sizes), rent from £51.30

hurrcollective.com

Woman in floral silk dress

Reformation

Veria Silk Dress, £448

thereformation.com

Turquoise strappy heel

Tommy Hilfiger

Crest High Heel Strap Leather Sandals (Size 40), rent from £7 per day or buy secondhand for £140

mywardrobehq.com

Blue beaded necklace

Monica Vinader

Hope Beaded Gemstone Necklace, £150

monicavinader.com

Loretta Caponi Melinda dress in bouquets & Melinda dress in coral stripes | wedding guest outfits

Loretta Caponi

Melinda Dress in Bouquets, €840

lorettacaponi.it

Melinda Dress in Coral Stripes, €755

lorettacaponi.it

Pink and blue star dress | wedding guest outfits

Lirika Matoshi

Pink Sky Midi Dress (Multiple Sizes), rent from £62.44

hurrcollective.com

Featured image: Suzannah London