What do I wear to a posh wedding in Seville?

[Dannie]

I've been invited to a posh wedding in Seville next month. It's an early evening service followed by a reception. Does anyone know if I need a hat? I'm assuming some sort of smart, vaguely evening dress and jacket combo, but suitable for wearing in a Catholic church. Any advice, especially from Spanish-based MNers or regular readers of Hola!, would be much appreciated.

Seville weather between 14 and 26 degrees Celsius

(Aargh, nuptial mass! So I'll be starting a thread in Philosophy/Religion/Spirituality about whether I can take Communion or not...)
Back to the point: I have a plain silk cocktail-type dress that doesn't fit since my tits vanished post-breastfeeding but it's a lovely sort of honey brown and I could get it altered. Might do a not too OTT hat or one of those fascinator thingies - my cousin's wife wore a little one at a family wedding this summer and it looked much more chic than half the hats.

It's right at the end of October, so it'll be starting to cool down at night.

I was thinking chic rather than polite linen, maybe plain black, to the knee. There was a lovely one in Monsoon in the summer which was quite low cut, a curve-accentuating wrap with a wide gently ripling ruffle along the wrapped edge. It would look simple and sharp and sexy rather than english weddingy.

It sounds like you could pretty much wear anything with your height/figure.

That sounds lovely, not that I have any curves to accentuate

Not sure if a fascinator counts as covering the head, which might mean an additional wrap/scarf, and possibly the demise of your hairstyle - maybe check protocol on head covering.

Was in Southern Spain a couple of weeks ago. On an evening visit to nearest city, we watched a wedding party coming out of church.

No hats. Ladies had spent a lot of time on glamorous hairstyles, often with a flower in it somewhere.

Lots of v colourful and gorgeous cocktail dresses or long dresses or long skirt/top combo. Strappy sandals with killer heels de rigeur. Bride had a strapless gown on. Lots of other women with bare shoulders - spaghetti straps on the dresses. Some were wearing bustiers with a skirt.

They all looked fab.

sounds like good advice, puff!

your brown dress sounds v nice Dannie - there are some fab gold and bronze accessories out there that would look great with it.
If you're in the market for a new dress, Monsoon has several in this shape, which is flattering to almost any figure and particularly good a creating a waist where none previously existed. I saw at least five women (all different ages and shapes) at Henley wearing the polka dot version and they all looked good.

I'd be prepared to cover shoulders in case - some places are fussier than others and you don't want to be barred from the church if there's a particularly prissy steward on the door.

That is nice MrsB. I was just looking at the vintage lace dress here though it might require norkage. I clearly need to go shopping, yippee.

oh wow, that lace dress is fantastic!
Definitely worth trying on as the neckline looks like it would make the most of any nork available.

Since the LBD I have only fits when I'm breastfeeding, which I have no intention of ever doing again, I think it's positively necessary. Must go pick kids up.

that is one hell of a dress - wonderful

Slight problem: I tried on about eight dresses yesterday in Hobbs and Monsoon and nothing fitted. I am apparently a size eight in these modern newfangled sizes, but even that is too big round the bust. (Quite how I can have gone from a size 12 to a size 8 without losing any weight and after having three children is beyond me. Clearly goalposts have been moved). Looks like I'll be altering the silk dress then.

size 8!
skirt and bustier combo from somewhere that comes up small and/or does a 6 (Coast?) might be a better bet?

A 6 would be way too tight round the waist, though a top and skirt could work. I did try on a wrap dress in Hobbs that fitted but I didn't like it that much and I was reluctant to spend £160 just cos it was the only thing that fitted. Might keep a lookout for something of similar shape, though.