Photography by Darryl Price Jr.
Is it just me or is finding something to wear to a wedding one of the most stressful things ever?! This past May, my bestie, Danielle got married to the love of her life, Peter, and even though I had basically a years notice that she was getting married, I panicked as soon as I got their Save the Date! I instantly thought to myself, “what the hell am I going to wear!?” and immediately texted my friend, Brian!
Even though as the guest you are not the one getting married, you still want to look nice and dress the part! I think it’s so important to find something that is equally flattering and comfortable so you can drink, eat, dance, and mingle all day/night long!
Today, I’m excited to share some tips on what to wear as a wedding guest! From the dress, to the shoes, to accessories and makeup! A couple of years ago, so many of my friends got married that I became pretty good at dressing appropriately! But it’s been awhile now and I needed a bit of a refresher! Keep reading for some of my wedding dress guest tips!
ONE // VENUE + LOCATION: One of my biggest tips is to consider the venue/location of the wedding! Most of the time, save the dates will have a dress code, which is super helpful! But if it doesn’t than the venue is a great starting point to figuring out what style of dress to wear.
TWO // DRESS CODE: Danielle’s dress code was “Beach Formal” and her ceremony was during the day, so I knew I wanted a long dress and since it was in May, I also knew I wanted pastels/lighter colors and some kind of floral print! I naturally am more drawn to lighter colors (half of my closet is white), but I think it’s easier to wear darker colors when ceremonies/receptions are at night.
THREE // WEATHER: Another great thing to consider is the time of year. Pastels/lighter colors were perfect for spring, but I love doing a classic black or bold color such as emerald green in the fall and winter. This fall/winter I’ve been LOVING silk, velvet, and who doesn’t love a good fall floral!?
FOUR // DRESS MATERIAL: Material is also a major key! I knew I wanted a dress that was a lighter material since the wedding was near the beach and in May. For my friend Erica’s spring wedding a few years ago, I wore a mini bright blue floral bodycon dress (seen HERE) and since the venue was outdoors and indoors, it was perfect for the occasion!
FIVE // GET A SECOND OPINION: Get a second opinion/shop with a friend! I tend to usually have an idea of what I want in mind, but if you’re stuck in a rut, ask a friend! Luckily, Brian was able to help me find EXACTLY what I wanted or I just totally lucked out. But I also asked Danielle what she thought! It was kind of a unique situation since she was the bride, but she was still so helpful and gave me her opinion!
SIX // KNOW WHERE TO SHOP: Loyalty is royalty! Know where to look! This is always a great starting point for me! I have a few brands/stores that I will check first and I tend to have success with. Some of my go-to brands/stores: Nordstrom: Topshop! Topshop has such a wide variety that they will usually have something that will work for you! Lush is a always a good one, but sometimes more on the casual side. TBD/trend also has a few great brands such as: ASTR the Label and MINKPINK. If you’re a brave online shopper unlike me, some great sites to check out are: Revolve, ASOS, Zara, Free People, Topshop, Show Me Your Mumu, and Lulus!
SEVEN // MAKEUP: Sooo I will admit that makeup is not my forte. My friend Katelyn (I’ll leave her Instagram here for you local OC/LA babes! @themakeuppainter), usually does my makeup for special events such as my grad photos and things like that! But unfortunately, it didn’t workout for Katelyn to do my makeup since Danielle’s wedding was in San Diego so I went to the local Nordstrom to get my makeup done for Danielle’s wedding. It ended up being a giant disaster and I ended up fixing most of it myself 🤦🏻♀️ … But that has never happened to me before! So I won’t let one bad experience ruin my future makeup experiences. I alway get my makeup done with MAC and I know A LOT of people think they are too crazy and cake it on, but you can always ask them nicely not to! I always tell them I want a natural look! I knew I wanted coral/peachy tones so that’s what I asked for and she did great with my eye makeup! I confess that I loooove Kylie Lip Kits because they last alllll day. I wore Apricot for Danielle’s wedding! 🙂
EIGHT // ACCESSORIZING + JEWELS: Since my dress was more on the pastely and neutral side, I went with nude heels/bag and gold accessories. Gold is just my personal preference! I kept it pretty minimal with some dainty rings and bracelets! Sometimes less is more IMO!
Below are some photos from Danielle’s beautiful wedding that I thought I’d share! 🙂
DRESS: sold out, but since silk, velvet and fall floral are alllll the rage this fall here are some of my picks! Loving THIS silk maxi dress for a formal wedding, THIS floral jumpsuit, THIS pretty wrap dress, THIS gorge jumpsuit, and obsessed with THIS velvet dress! // NUDE BLOCK HEELS: HERE // PURSE: HERE // JEWELS: Parpala Jewelry
I hope this helps some of you girls who are in a rut about what to wear to a wedding this upcoming fall/winter season. Please let me know if you have any questions and I would love to help! I am currently in Boulder, Colorado visiting my boyfriend and we are off to go adventure! Have the best weekend babes! xx
Photography by Tanya of Tenth and Grace
You can read + see more from Danielle’s wedding HERE!
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