To wear black to a wedding...?

[user1484167681]

Okay, I screwed up and I should have thought about this earlier. Like, a lot earlier. I'm flying at 9am on Friday to Spain for a Catholic church wedding on Saturday, and nothing fits because I'm pregnant!!! Big 26-week bump in the way.

Options currently are... floor length skintight (but acceptably so) black dress with lacy capped sleeves. Or a knee length, long sleeved navy blue dress with white polka dot. Not sure it's sufficiently wedding-y... Or a miracle tomorrow?? I'm working though, and busy all evening, so that seems like a bad gamble. Also, I'm doing a reading so people will actually SEE what I'm wearing.

What would you do? I'm tempted to go for the formal black dress and dress it up with colourful jewellery and a stole and some flowers in my hair etc. Or is black at a wedding definitely a no-no??

I've no idea how all-out Spanish weddings are?! I think many people, esp family, are going for full-length dresses. Can't work out what's worse- causing offence from the black or being under-dressed. The black is slimming though, and as soon as I turn sideways, I feel any observer will understand my logic..!

(Won't have time to go shopping in Spain, before that gets suggested)

Polka dot. Floor length is a bit OTT I think. Spanish weddings usually tend to be more relaxed in the sartorial department.

The black one with brightly coloured accessories and a different coloured ribbon for the belt.

I think navy. If it's in a Church you should have your shoulders covered.

I went to a big Spanish Catholic wedding this year and they were a dressed up big style. Some full length, all very glam dresses. Guests looked like bridesmaids. Some people did wear black and if you are comfy in your black I would go with that with a colorful pashmina. I wore a dress similar to the spotty dress and stod out as under dressed.

I was going to ask if you were mother of the groom

www.thelocal.es/20170504/guide-etiquette-spanish-wedding

Wear which ever you have the most complete outfit for. Shoes, bag, wrap. Earrings etc.

Unless you are a spurned lover black is totally fine at weddings.

I think anything goes/ it depends on the vicar. I've been to a Catholic wedding in Spain where the bride wore a dress with thin straps and I've been turned away from churches as a tourist for wearing vest tops. Black is definitely a somber colour and they 'typically' go loud at weddings so if want to wear the black, accessories brightly and have a pashmina for shoulders just in case. Full length is fine. Enjoy!

Personally for me black is a no no. Sorry, the black dress is lovely but not appropriate for a wedding imo.

Wear the polka dot, it looks lovely and will be comfy for pg.

Add a cream silky irridiscent wrap and a lovely bag and shoes, a fancy fascinator (all the rage in Spain, just look at the bridal shops!), and you will look gorgeous.

Not worth the worry of black.

Enjoy the wedding.

The link I posted says knee length dress for daytime wedding, long dress for a evening wedding.

Saw this on another link too:

"5. Embrace colour!

Like North American weddings, wearing white as a guest is a big no-no. Most people also usually avoid black as it’s considered a bit dreary. Instead, most Spanish weddings are bursting with colour."

I don't like black at weddings personally but I know others don't mind. Seeing as how you are pregnant I think you'll be cut some slack anyway.

My view FWIW is that the spotted dress is not dressy enough for a wedding and harder to accessorise. The black dress is lovely and I would imagine far more flattering if you have a big bump. Plus it can easily be brightened up - if you feel it necessary - with a pashmina or jewellery.

I am not of the view that black is only for funerals - we do not live in the Victorian age.

Mmm, gosh, what to do?! I'll definitely take both, plus pashmina etc, just for peace of mind. And then probably see on the day- the church is in the grounds of the hotel, so I can sneak a peek at everyone and get changed if I've misjudged it. Thanks for all the advice! It no longer seems like the end of the world :D

DH is strongly of the opinion that wearing black would be poor etiquette, so I will probably end up in the navy dress... Shame though, in a way, I almost felt like my old self when I tried on the black one! I don't want to stand out for the wrong reasons though. Am certainly not a spurned lover, although the phrase made me chuckle :):)

I'm Irish, Catholic, and recently married, big church wedding, 3 people wore black to my wedding and they all looked fab, wear the black, the navy isn't dressy enough for a wedding anyway but the black is beautiful

Go for the blue or see if you can get a next day delivery from seraphine.com

I go to loads of (Catholic) weddings in Italy. Everyone wears black - especially because they’re always evening weddings due to the heat, so people dress up. I used to rebel but now I’ve embraced it. To my BIL wedding I wore a floor length gown that was mostly black but with a different colour on top.

Next do next day delivery? www2.next.co.uk/xo16502s5#671597

IMO the blue dotty dress is great, looks very comfortable for a 26 weeker, and if dressed up with the right accessories will be lovely.

I think we have to remember that no one notices what we wear if it is not punk or half naked. Most people are too busy looking at themselves in any window or mirror!

But many people will notice black at a wedding, sorry OP, and especially in Spain where riotous colour and flamenco swirls will probably dominate. But you will look gorgeous. Better to feel comfortable in the blue than odd in the black.

Just my opinion and I hope I didn't offend. I would choose the blue in your shoes honestly I would.

Sorry thought id posted a photo!

I’m Irish Catholic and my bridesmaids wore black.

Wear the black one. It is beautiful

You can get next day delivery up until midnight from Next! You have ten mins!!!

I wore black with lots of vivid autumnal accessories to wedding I attended this time last year. No one said anything including my very opinionated 95 year old Grandmama. I'd wear the black one.

Hiya - black as a colour is fine for a Spanish wedding. But not the dress it looks ball gowny / bridesmaidy.

Blue polka dot it lovely - you will be fine and I’m sure will look lovely, wear that x

Hi
I’m Spanish so hope it helps.

Where is the wedding ? If it’s south it might be hot but north def is cold now :) few days ago they were suffering the Irish hurricane

Full length dresses are normally a thing for evening weddings , while I’d normally wear a short dress to a day wedding.

Also Black is normally worn to funerals so that’s why we tend to avoid full black dresses to weddings.

I’d personally wear the polka one (maybe cuz I like it more) or cuz of the black - funeral thing. If it was mixed with some other colour I’d not doubt that much.

However, nowadays we follow less and less the protocols many times so despite what you wear people should not comment against it , I’d personally not care if anyone was wearing anything “against a protocol” to my wedding as what I care about is people being there

Ahhhh I fell asleep long before 12 and didn't see the post about Next deliveries...!

It's just outside Barcelona (half-Spanish friend marrying Catalan guy... talk about timing! Lol). Ah it's hard to know. I'd prefer the black- it's much more flattering, and formal. Definitely inappropriate for a funeral.

Thanks for all the (admittedly conflicting!) advice :) Really appreciate it.

Oh, and the service starts at 1pm! But obviously we'll be in wedding activities from then til bedtime.