Love being invited to a wedding, but filled with dread when wondering what to wear? Let me tell you the secret to being the best dressed guest at a wedding!

Dos

• Follow the dress code if the invitation has one.
• Dress for the venue, e.g. formal settings should have a formal outfit (see my Guide to Dress Codes below) or it’s OK to wear more casual outfits to a beach wedding.
• Go for demure and classy – boobs or legs not both – showing too much skin means people will be looking at you and not the bride = bad.
• Look at the colours on the invitation as this is likely to suggest the colours of the wedding. Most likely the bridesmaids or mother of the bride / groom will be in one of these colours so you may want to steer away from it.
• Consider the time of year when the wedding is and dress appropriately – think about fabrics, coats, hats, scarves etc. You don’t want to be too hot or too cold during the ceremony or in the photographs.
• Go for smaller handbags to compliment your outfit – only take the essentials! A massive handbag, whilst practical will detract from your gorgeous outfit.

Don’ts

• NEVER, EVER outshine the bride.
• Don’t wear white, cream or ivory UNLESS you have OK’d it with the bride.
• Never under-dress for the occasion. Jeans are likely to be frowned upon, even for evening guests, unless the bride and groom have requested that as the dress code.
• Don’t wear anything too loud or bright as you don’t want to draw attention away from the wedding party and bride = bad.

Guide to Dress Codes
Dress codes can be a minefield all of their own – here’s my guide to help you choose an outfit appropriate for the wedding you’ve been invited to.

• Informal – you can wear a short dress or separates or a suit. Jersey fabrics are acceptable for this type of wedding.
• Semi-informal – you’re expected to wear something a bit dressier here so consider a cocktail dress. Again, a suit or smart separates would be acceptable. You can also consider “accessorising up” your informal outfit by using structured jackets, footwear, jewellery or a hat / fascinator. If you are going to do this, you need to honestly think about if the dress is suitable, for example, a strapless or halter-neck jersey dress is easier to dress up because the necklines are often associated with dressier occasions.
• Formal – formal dresses that are more structured, perhaps with matching jacket. Fabrics are more important here and the expectation is for something more luxurious or stiffer. Hats will be accepted and embraced at this wedding. If dresses aren’t your thing, suits and formal separates will be OK but make sure it’s special or think about what you wear under the jacket.
• Black tie – think the Oscars here – long or dressy short dresses will be expected. Think beads, sequins, glamour, luxury! Make sure your hair & make-up oozes glamour to match your outfit. If you have to do trousers, the fabric and cut must be fabulous (think YSL tuxedo).

If you’re really stuck, you can pop by the boutique for a chat and I’d love to help with some suggestions.

If you’d like guaranteed, personal support and shopping, you can book my services via the Fashion Fixer website and we’ll hit the shops to find you the perfect outfit.

In the meantime, you can follow Just g Boutique on Facebook. Or there’s Twitter, Instagram at Just_g_fashion and I’m on Pinterest too!
Happy shopping,
Gail x