Summer Wedding Guest Outfit

It’s the season isn’t it…wedding bells are chiming up and down the country. If you are lucky enough to be invited to a summer wedding, you are going to want to look your best. That usually means treating yourself to some occassionwear and getting all dolled-up! Yay!

It is nice to have the chance to really dress up for a change, but shopping for your wedding guest outfit can also be a bit daunting. The fact that we don´t really wear this type of clothing in our everyday life means that many of us feel a bit out of our depth don’t we?

With this in mind I have put together this quick tips post to help you shop for the ideal summer wedding guest outfit, which should make things easier for you…

Follow the theme of the wedding

Before you go out shopping it helps if you have some idea of what you are going to buy. Narrowing down your options is always a good idea. It will stop you from feeling overwhelmed by the level of choice, and makes sure that you do not end up wasting time trying on too many outfits.

The theme or style of the wedding you are going to is a good starting point. If you are going to a 1930s themed wedding look for the type of clothing that was worn by wedding guests around that time. The best approach is to go online and research the type of clothes people wore during that era. There is plenty of information out there. For example, I found this fantastic page, which shows you what style of clothes people were wearing in the 1930s. Fabulous!

If there is no specific theme, the best approach is to go online and browse through the various retailer´s “occassionwear” pages. This will help you to see what is fashionable at the moment and narrow down your options.

Buy early

You need to give yourself enough time to go out and buy all of the items you need. If you are lucky you will get everything in just one shopping trip. However, that rarely happens. Often, you will find your dress quickly, but will struggle to source the perfect accessories to finish off your outfit. You always have to allow yourself enough time to have your dress sent away for adjustments and perhaps have your shoes dyed, so that they match your outfit perfectly. Don’t end up in a rush, it’ll only stress you out!

Have a “dress rehearsal”

As soon as you have bought everything, try it all on, including your lingerie. When you do so check how you look from every angle. If necessary get a friend to hold a mirror behind you, so you get a proper 360 degree view. Bend and sit down while you are wearing your outfit to make sure that you are comfortable, and that your outfit is not too tight. There is nothing worse than being at a wedding, with free food and drink that you can’t eat because your dress is too tight! Totally not worth it (trust me)!

Be ready for the good ol’ British weather

With a summer wedding the chances are that the sun will shine. However, sadly that does not always happen, which is why you need to be prepared. Choose a suitable coat to throw on over the top of your outfit and have it dry-cleaned. Or a good alternative is a bolero, shawl or pashmina for a fab lightweight cover-up. Pack an umbrella (you can buy beautiful white/ivory ones these days) and consider bringing a pair of flats (or wellies) if you’re going to an outdoors wedding.