With June right around the corner, that means you've probably got
at least one wedding to attend. Thing is, with weddings usually come showers, rehearsal dinners, and bachelorette parties. And there's a different dress code for each of those (well, you MIGHT be able to get away with wearing the same thing to the shower and the rehearsal dinner but where's the fun in that?). Fear not, I'm here with your cheat sheet and a few suggestions. Read on my lusties and prepare to be amazed (dramaaaatic, I'm aware)!
All events: DO NOT WEAR WHITE. I REPEAT, DO NOT WEAR WHITE.
The bridal shower: I had a shower for one of my BFF's today and wore a really cute outfit. It was a white skirt with light brown and navy blue stripes, a navy v-neck, and a white and brown belt. Very appropriate and perfect for today's icky weather (it rained ALL DAY-blech). I think skirts are the way to go when it comes to showers, you can dress them down with a t-shirt and cardigan for a casual setting, or pair them with a fabulous blouse for a dressier venue. While I love "body-con" skirts, leave those for a night out with the girls, remember
Grandma will probably be there, don't make her blush. This
Bustle Back Chiffon skirt ($24.99) from
Charlotte Russe is super cute, just make sure it's long enough. I would wear it with a plain colored tee and a black belt. This
Fierce Fashion Braided Belt is purrrrrfect. Throw on some flat black sandals (or wedges if you don't have super long legs like moi) and you're all set. For me, it's all about keeping it simple and "fresh" for showers. I like to leave all the flash and focus for the bride. Now, if you're not comfortable wearing a skirt (I know plenty of people who aren't), stick with some neutral dress pants. Honestly, I'm not a fan of black pants (I think they're soooo overdone), but I love a nice pair of tan/white pinstriped slacks-and yes, I just used the word "slacks". These
Striped Wide Waistband Editor Pants from
Express are a little more pricey (they're $69.90), but it's worth the extra couple of bucks. You can wear them time and time again, and you never know when you might need a pair of dress pants! Tuck in this
Ruffle Button-Front Tank (I love it in the violet) also from Express and you are SET! If you need shoes, these
T-Strap Woven Wedges from CR are a steal and you'll DEF wear them again!
The rehearsal/groom's dinner: This is the time to be a bit more conservative, especially if the rehearsal is in a church. If it's an outdoor/beach wedding or something more non-traditional, feel free to go strapless or sleeveless. Here's where I'd prefer to be a little dressier, and wear a dress. Once again, don't upstage the bride, and keep it simple and fresh. I'm in LOVE with this
Tiered Accordian Pleat Dress from CR, it's a gorgeous color and will look beautiful with a cream or black blazer over it (while you're in the church, feel free to lose it after the rehearsal). Keep your accessories simple, I'd wear my pearl studs and a fun bracelet, and let the dress kinda speak for itself. Some embellished flat sandals like these
Strappy Rosette Flat Sandals also from CR finish off your look. If you want something brighter (and for a more non-traditional venue), this
B Darlin Dress from
Macy's is a lot of fun. Punch up the accessories (I'd go with some chandelier earrings) and pair it with some funky heels. As always, be aware of the venue and dress accordingly, you can dress up or down each dress, just change your shoes, hairstyle, and accessories-the hot pink dress can be worn with some tribal bangles and flat sandals to dress it down, and the accordian dress can be paired with silver earrings, a wristful of silver bangles, and silver heels to dress it up. Play around with the looks and have fun!
3. The bachelorette party: This is the fun part. Feel free to "slut it up a little" (those are my husband's words, NOT mine) if you're heading out for a night of debauchery, but remember there may be moms and grandmothers in attendance, so make sure your lady bits are covered at all times. Make sure that the bride doesn't have an specific requests for what you wear as well, my bride wants us in black and pink for her party, but I've seen a wide array of different outfit combos. I wore red for mine and let everyone wear whatever they wanted, but it's always best to ask if there's a "theme" to follow. My favorite place to find going out dresses is Arden B. Lately, since my bod bod is all weird shaped from weight loss (goodbye tummy, hello hips-how is ANYTHING supposed to fit?!), I've had a hard time fitting into their stuff, but it's still SUPER ADORABLE. Again, and I know I've said this a trillion times already, but DON'T UPSTAGE THE BRIDE. Neva, eva, eva. Let her shine. I know you'd look to die for in that sequin tube dress, but wear that on YOUR special day. This
Embellished One Shoulder Dress from
Arden B is super adorable and would fit perfectly with my friend's black and pink theme! Notice how it's tight, but not too revealing. This
Ombre One Shoulder Dress is soooo purty. I love the color effect on it. AND it's on sale! Woop woop. I think you kinda catch my drift here, slip on a slinky little cocktail dress, some heels and killer jewelry, and go have fun! Buy that bride a shot or two. ;)
Alright, before I go, I wanted to post an invitation dress code decoder for those of you who are dumbfounded when you see "white tie" at the bottom of the invite (BTW, lucky you if you get invited to one of those-you must be some sort of VIP, or you got invited to some celeb's wedding)!
I found this really great article from
eHow, and his has a lot of great advice. Always remember a couple things before you choose your outfit:
a. Season: Obviously, a short, strapless cocktail dress isn't the most appropriate thing to wear to a winter wedding, and a velvet dress isn't going to be too comfortable during the summer.
b. Time of Day: Usually day weddings (esp if they're outside) are going to be more casual, you can get away with wearing a sundress.
c. Any wishes of the Bride and/or Groom (like religious or theme): I'm not big on the religious protocol when it comes to weddings, but make sure that you're following the rules of the church or the couple's family. Always ask if you're unsure. It's better to be safe than sorry.
I once went to a wedding where people were wearing their clothes from earlier in the day (I'm talking too-big t-shirts and dirty jeans) and others were wearing their prom dresses-YES. Full length, princess style prom gowns. Talk about upstaging the bride! Call me a 'zilla, but if someone pulled that stunt, I'd make them go home and change. NOT appropriate.
You Look Fab breaks down every type of dress code you might come across and will even tell you specifically what to wear. Awesome!
Alrighty, that's all for me. Hopefully this helped you out and gave you a couple ideas! Enjoy wedding season, this may or may not be my favorite time of the year. ;)
