Saturday, 11 May 2013

Style Files - Wedding Guesting

Yesterday I attended the wedding of one of my favourite couples. It was such an amazing day and both bride and groom looked fantastic.

Now that we are heading into summer, wedding season is in full swing! So I thought I would share with you what I wore and my key tips on how to dress for a wedding. I love dressing for a summer wedding because you can really play with colour. I went with a turquoise colour pallette accented with gold. The weather is still chilly so I wore my Zara tweed to the venue then checked it into the cloakroom along with my umbrella. You can never be too careful at a Scottish wedding!

(Apologies for the quality of the photographs - my camera died on me so I had to make do with my iPhone).







Shoes - Jimmy Choo
Purse - Accessorize
Dress - Monsoon
Tweed Jacket - Zara


My Fashion Cupboard's Top Tips for Wedding Dressing
1. Don't wear white - I know these days this is seen as less of a rule and there were guests in white at the wedding yesterday. But unless you want to feel uncomfortable all day and risk offending the bride on the biggest day of her life, I suggest keeping your whites for another date.
2. Know your venue - is the wedding indoors or outdoors? Is it in a castle or a marquee? Knowing your venue will help guage the formality of the occasion and also ensure that you choose the right pair of shoes!
3. Consider the time of year - it may sound obvious but your choice of outfit should differ for a summer wedding as opposed to a winter one. Even if the weather is poor during the summer months you can still get away with brighter colours and flimsier fabrics. Check the weather the day before your wedding to decide whether you need a jacket or a brolly. For Scottish weddings a brolly tends to be essential! You can usually check it into a cloakroom on arrival at the reception venue.
4. Keep make-up simple - Remember that you are wearing your make up look all day so make sure it is day time appropriate. Avoid glitter. Take your lipstick, powder and perfume with you to keep yourself looking fresh well into the evening.
5. If you know the colour of the Bridesmaids dresses be sure to stay clear of that colour! Constantly being mistaken for a bridesmaid is more than a little embarassing. Obviously if the bride keeps the colour a secret you cannot be blamed for any faux pas in this area.
6. Make sure you can walk and dance in your shoes! And if you can't, take fold-up flats with you. Weddings involve a lot of waiting around and most venues don't provide enough seating for all guests while they turn around the main rooms. Fighting the brides' Grandmother for the last seat because your feet are about to fall off in those new heels is the ultimate in wedding guest no-nos!
7. Never 'dress down' - you will stick out like a sore thumb and feel entirely uncomfortable. Think cocktail attire as a minimum. I almost always wear a dress to a wedding. If you choose to wear trousers ensure they are smart and preferably matched with a blazer. Never wear jeans.

And although not stricting wedding dressing, here are some tips on general wedding etiquette:

8. Eat a small meal beforehand - If the ceremony is a day-time affair followed by dinner you are likely to be waiting for several hours before getting more than a small canape to nibble. Many couples choose to have the speeches before the meal as well which can mean champagne on an empty stomach if you are unprepared.
9. Don't drink too much alcohol - Following on from the above, weddings are notorious for drunken behaviour. Just be warned that this day is likely to be remembered by many people for many years to come. Just make sure you aren't the one who is remembered for the wrong reasons!
10. Be sociable! You will often be seated with people you don't know but weddings are a great chance to widen your social circle. You all have something in common so kick off a conversation around how each of you know the bride/groom and you will be chatting like old friends in no time.

Most of all HAVE FUN! Weddings are a celebration and the happy couple will have put in a lot of time and effort (and cash!) into making the day just right. Make sure that they know how much you appreciate being part of their special day.

Bisous xx

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