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Wedding Style-What to Wear to a Destination Wedding

April 17, 2010 By Leave a Comment

This is the 3rd and final post in the series on what to wear to a wedding.  This final post will be a bit different since destination weddings ARE different.

I have seen a lot of confusion I have seen at weddings recently.  No one really knows what to wear.  Either that or they don’t care.

I want you to care, I want you to look your best because if you look your best you’ll feel your best and have the best time!  We’ve talked about Afternoon Weddings and Evening Weddings.  Now let’s talk about destination weddings.

I’ve heard about weddings on Cruise Ships, the Beach, a Remote Island, even Italy.  They all sound very romantic and fun, but I believe that it does create some confusion when planning for the occasion.

So, if you are the bride or groom and are planning a destination wedding, please do your guests a favor and let them know how you would like them to be attired.

Having said that here are a few of my suggestions on everything from dresses to footwear for a destination wedding.

Think “business casual” not “weekend casual”.  Even though you are much more casual, you still want to be dressed up, not sloppy.

So, even if you are wearing your jeans, make sure they are your dress-jeans and not your “cleaning the yard” jeans.  Pay close attention to detail if you are traveling to another country.

Pay attention to their cultural mores and what is acceptable in the country.  There may be special attributes about wedding attire that is different from what you are used to seeing.  If there is something unique about the country, try and embrace the culture and go with it!

Beach:

  • Sundresses
  • Jeans (o.k. if specified on invitation)
  • Khakis
  • Linen Sports coat
  • Lightweight gauze or linen dresses or slacks
  • Bermuda shorts (guys)
  • Flip-flops, sandals or no shoes (ladies)
  • Flip-flops, Docksiders, no shoes, loafers w/no socks (guys)

Cruise:

  • Same as above for clothing (if not specified by invitation)
  • Shoes-sandals, Docksiders, loafers w/no socks

Other Country:

  • Dress denim (men)
  • Linen blazer (men)
  • Silk shirt (men)
  • Silk dresses (women)
  • Heeled sandals and pumps (women)
  • Colorful patterns (men and women)

The bottom line is to simply think about the event and plan for it.  Enjoy the opportunity to do something different and you’ll

“Look Good, Feel Great and Have FUN Doing It!”

What to Wear to an Evening Wedding

What to Wear to an Afternoon Wedding

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Wedding Style-What to Wear to an Evening Wedding

April 14, 2010 By 3 Comments

DSCN2827This is the 2nd in a series on what to wear to a wedding.  These posts were influenced by my attending an afternoon  Church wedding.  It was apparent they didn’t know what to put on themselves much less their children. We’ve talked about what to wear to an Afternoon Wedding

I photographed this gentleman because he was dressed up!  His smile said it all…He was there to celebrate and have fun.  Was it over the top for an afternoon wedding?  I say NO, was it necessary to dress up this much?  Again, I say NO, but the key here is that it WAS O.K. to wear a suit and dress up.

The biggest challenge dressing for a wedding comes not when the wedding is at 3 PM but as the day turns into evening.  What do you wear to an evening wedding?  One hopes that there is instruction on your invitation, letting the guests know if it is a 6:00 wedding the formality of it.  Again, we are talking about a Church Wedding.  It will be completely different for a “Destination” or “Beach” Wedding.

An evening wedding, one that is from 6PM on, is considered a more formal event and should require more formal attire.  I have been invited to a 6PM Formal Wedding and having spoken to the bride’s mother, I know that there will be many long gowns worn to this event.  Here are a few suggestions on your attire for an evening wedding:

Ladies:

Long or a short dress is o.k.  If you choose to wear a short dress, select a festive, perhaps a cocktail dress.  Dress it up with a wrap and very nice shoes and a clutch.  A cotton sundress is not going to cut it for this event no matter how you dress it up!  So grab a dress with great drape and a fabric that is beautiful on you.

Guys:
It’s a bit more straightforward for you!  Your options are simple. Choose either a suit or a tuxedo.  If you don’t have a tuxedo, a black suit is certainly appropriate.

  • Note that a 2-button suit is more formal.
  • Wear a white shirt and a festive tie.
  • Polished LACE UP shoes and a smooth leather belt.
  • Your fashion missteps come in the way of bad shoe, belt, tie and pocket scarf selections, so choose wisely.
  • Never match your pocket scarf to your tie!  Always remember that the smoother the leather the more formal the look.  AND the narrower the sole on your shoe the more elegant the look.
  • Stay away from a rubber sole for this event.

If you will remember that it is about the Bride and Groom and dress for the occasion, you will:

“Look Good, Feel Great and Have FUN Doing It!”

What to Wear to an Afternoon Wedding

Next…What to Wear to a Destination Wedding

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Wedding Style-What to Wear to Afternoon Weddings

April 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment

DSCN2803After my experience attending an afternoon wedding recently, I felt compelled to write about what is considered “wedding attire” or at the very least give you some suggestions so that you would be able to plan your outfit accordingly.  Hint, hint….it’s NOT JEANS AND TENNIS SHOES!

I attended a 3 pm church wedding in April recently and what I observed was all over the board. It was either party wear or weekend casual, hanging out wear. So here’s a note to the bride and groom:

  • If you care what your guests wear, please have a dress code on the invitation
  • Understand what a dress code means by today’s standards
  • If you don’t know what to suggest, please solicit the advice of a wedding planner

Here’s what to wear if there are no instructions on the invitation AND you will be attending an afternoon Church wedding. Minimally, please consider the following and remember that you’ll never go wrong dressing up:

  • Ladies, I suggest you wear a dress or skirt with a nice blouse (no denim please)
  • If you are going to wear sandals or shoes with no hosiery, please make sure that your toes are polished and feet groomed.
  • Make sure you have heels on your shoes and they are not worn off so you are clicking up the isle or sidewalk
  • Definitely NO FLIP-FLOPS to a Church Wedding
  • Carry a nice simple clutch and not your every day satchel

  • Gentlemen, I suggest you wear a pair of dress slacks or khakis (pressed please) a long sleeve dress shirt (ironed)
  • A sports coat is not required but a nice touch and doesn’t require a tie
  • If you wear a tie, please put a coat on with it
  • Shoes guys are just as important, even if you are not wearing a sports coat.  NO tennis, athletic or Docksiders please.  I’d like to see a polished loafer or lace up shoe to finish out your look.

It doesn’t have to be hard to get dressed for the wedding and you don’t always have to find something new.  Consider it a time for celebrating and “dress-up”.  You’ll find that dressing up will put you in a festive mood and you’ll actually have more fun!  You’ll let go a little knowing that you are dress just right for the occasion and you’ll:

“Look Good, Feel Great and Have FUN Doing It!”

Next, What to Wear to an Evening Wedding

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Wedding Style-What Guests Wear

April 12, 2010 By 2 Comments

IMG00009DSCN2803

I went to a wedding this past weekend. It was a spectacular day for a wedding-not a cloud in the sky and a gentle breeze kept the day light and comfortable.  The time of the wedding was 3pm.

It’s been a while since I’ve attended a wedding and as I thought about what I was going to wear since there wasn’t  “dress code’ on the invitation, I thought that “Sunday Dress” was appropriate.  Now days, “Sunday Dress’ means anything goes to most…. Anything from shorts and denim to sundresses and day suits.  So I was anxious to see what the day presented.

I took my dad and being from the “old school”, didn’t have to suggest what he should wear.  When I picked him up he had a  sports coat, tie and casual dress slacks on.  Good, I thought, no worries.  We left early since neither of us knew where we were going and wanted to get there in time to be seated comfortably.  Well, as luck would have it we arrived very early.  So early in fact that we just sat in the car and watched as everyone arrived.  It provided much inspiration for this post.

The first group to get out of their car was a young boy and his mother.  He was about 8 or 9.  He leapt from the car in  pair of khaki shorts (o.k. I thought), white polo untucked and OH NO, flip-flops.  Ish, bad news….We aren’t at the beach.  Then his mother got out of the car and she had on an outfit of black (yes black) washed cotton-something you’d wear on the beach- and ooops rubber flip-flops…Honestly she looked as if she just came from shopping at Wal-Mart or the grocery store or perhaps really didn’t want to be there.  Just threw something on because she “had to be there”.

OMG…..please don’t tell me these people are going to the wedding????  Lighten up I’m telling myself..It’s not about “you”…But that’s exactly the problem…It ISN”T about you, it’s about the Bride and Groom…

I’m not trying to be difficult here, but seriously it is about celebrating a momentous event in the lives of two people.  Celebrating and showing respect for all the work that they have put into this event.  It’s not about your comfort.  It is about the comfort of the bride and groom.  Why wouldn’t you WANT to dress up to show your support?  I just don’t get it.

So, in honor of kicking off “Wedding Season”, I’m going to spend the next couple of posts suggesting what is appropriate to wear to a wedding should you be honored with an invitation this season.  We’ll talk about what to wear to an Afternoon Wedding, what to wear to an Evening Wedding, and what to wear to the other types, Destination, Beach, Garden, etc.

Here’s one big hint…Unless you are going to a “beach, on the sand wedding”….flip-flops are a no go! Come on here, let’s enjoy the event and

“Look Good, Feel Great and Have FUN Doing It!”

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