Italy wedding in the summer - please help!

[DandelionAndBedrock]

I am a size 14-16 (desperately trying to lose weight, but the top end of a size 14 is probably as good as it will get by the time of the wedding). Wedding is at the start of August, in a hilltop town in Northern Italy (so there might be a breeze? ). Hourglass on a good day, spherical on a bad day. I dislike my arms immensely but I have perfected the art of putting on a wrap/cardigan and just accepting that I will be hot.

The bride is a colleague of DP (but we are going as friends rather than "invite all the office" friends). I have never met either one of the couple. I am expecting the ceremony to be quite long, and the other guests to be gorgeous and cope well with the heat).

I have this dress already for a wedding in England. But I feel like it is a bit too English for the glamour fest I have created in my head. Happy to spend up to £100 ish, but I don't want anything too awkward to pack because we are turning the wedding into our holiday and want space in my suitcase for other clothes. Hobbs dresses are generally cut well for me, but inexplicably Phase Eight never, ever fits. Please help!

[Sgtmajormummy]

Try reading This, although a lot of the links will be out of date.

Can't believe it's 2 years ago- I must get a life!

[allegretto]

I think the dress is fine although the material might be a bit hot. Are the couple Italian?

[DandelionAndBedrock]

One of them is.

I have asked DP to ask the bride how formal/evening-y it will be, but he looked uncomfortable and said the bride is very busy at work and doesn't want to bother her . Ceremony is early evening, so I am expecting a more eveningy feel, if that makes sense? If it was the USA not Italy I would be assuming black tie.

Thanks for your thread SgtMajor. What did you wear in the end? I hadn't even thought of a maxi dress, but it's definitely something to consider.

[Hulder]

Italian weddings tend to be more on the blingy/loud side - if you are sight seeing round churches you end up seeing a lot of weddings

They also don't seem familiar with the idea of the maxi dress.

[OlennasWimple]

I like your dress, but agree it's not right for the Italian wedding

What colours suit you best?

[violetgrey]

Your dress if is lovely but I would not wear it to a wedding in Italy. I have been to a few Italian weddings and as the poster above said they tend to be a bit blingy. Lots of women wore bright colours ( black is a no no) and accessorise really well. They don't do maxis in Italy.

I just bought this dress from Oasis. It look a bit plain on the picture but the cut is really flattering. I am a large 14 at the moment and bought it in 14. You could bling it up with a silver clutch and sandals if you like metallics.

www.oasis-stores.com/gb/clothing/dresses/bardot-organza-midi-dress/061178.html?cgid=dresses&position=155&dwvar_061178_color=61#page=13&start=155&categoryID=dresses

[OlennasWimple]

This is over budget but viscose / linen mix should help you stay cool

[allegretto]

I've seen quite a few maxi dresses in Italy this year - maybe they are catching on.

[DandelionAndBedrock]

I tend to wear blues and greens, although looking in my wardrobe I seem to have a bit of yellow (I don't remember ever consciously buying something yellow!).

I have pale pinky-toned skin and dark hair. The wedding is at the start of the holiday so I won't be fabulously tanned .

I actually tried that Oasis dress on when it was full price. I loved it, and the cut is what I normally go for, but my boobs didn't really fit .

[OlennasWimple]

Silk kimono style?

[LeannePerrins]

Ceremony will be a full nuptial mass and it will be loooong. Shoulders and upper arms need to be covered in conservative churches.

[DandelionAndBedrock]

Ooh I like that Jigsaw one!

I had guessed about shoulders/upper arms. I'm assuming no hat though?

[LeannePerrins]

No need to cover your head in church, no. Italians don't wear hats to weddings but you will be considered delightfully quaint and English if you do

[violetgrey]

That Jigsaw one is lovely! And silk too.

[thedevilinablackdress]

No specific dress advice but wear something that's 'you' and you're comfortable in rather than something to match what you think other guests might wear. I don't understand this idea of everyone having to look a certain way at a certain type of wedding.

[SorrelSoup]

Knees covered too.

[VintagePerfumista]

Are they Italian? Is it church?

If yes, to both, then most of the women will probably be in long dresses- I don't mean maxi dresses- I mean evening dresses. Much more casual for the men who will be in their summer uniform of navy suits and white shirts and look like airline pilots on a Gilette advert.

If it's not an Italian's wedding, and/or it's not in church, it doesn't matter, you can wear what you want.

[VintagePerfumista]

Ah, sorry, missed that one of them is Italian.

You are going to have to dress up then. Sorry! Your dress wouldn't be suitable I'm afraid (chuckling that when I clicked "there are 10 people looking at this right now" I guess all of us on the thread)

[DandelionAndBedrock]

I'm excited about a church full of airline pilots . DP is planning to charm the grandmothers with his quaint English ways, so I suppose I can do the same!

devil I know what you mean, but if I can find something that is both me and won't make me stick out like the fat English lady then that is preferable. I'm perfectly happy to go formal, but there is still a spectrum. I wouldn't wear the same dress to a friend's black tie 30th birthday party, Glyndebourne, and a work event, even though on paper they might all have a black tie dress code.

[DandelionAndBedrock]

I have an emerald green evening dress that is in a jersey fabric (so not quite so formal). Does that sound like it might work?

[VintagePerfumista]

Attaching you some pics from the last one I went to.

Note: even the bride has bare shoulders and back- it's not the Pope, bare shoulders/knees are OK.

The crowd photo, far left, there is my SIL, also bare shoulders, her dress was a bit like the Princess Diana Serpentine gallery one, short and above her knees but then a train thing attached to her wrist.

The airline pilots are dp and his 2 brothers.

[violetgrey]

DandelionAndBedrock, the emerald green dress sounds perfect!

[violetgrey]

VintagePerfumista love those pics! I love Italian weddings.

[LeannePerrins]

Great pics, Vintage. Worth saying though that for the purposes of the church the bride's shoulders and back are covered, by her veil. Please don't ask me to explain why an almost completely transparent piece of fabric makes this OK, but it does...!

[Underparmummy]

Unlikely to be a breeze in August in Northern Italy!

I know Italians that wear maxi dresses too.

Pick something you feel comfortable and cool in and have an amazing time!!!