Tricky wedding

[CointreauVersial]

DH and I are invited to a wedding at the end of the month, and I am in a quandary about what to wear.

The wedding is in Dublin, on a Friday, in January (think cold, and almost certainly raining), and is in a very stylish upmarket city centre hotel. It will be a fairly mature crowd as the bride and groom are a long-established couple in their 40s with three kids.

So....my usual summer wedding attire of pretty dress and sandals won't cut it this time. If I wear a dress it will require tights, closed-toe shoes and some sort of cover up. I don't want to look too evening-y (black/sequins), or too office-y (jacket), but at the same time will feel an idiot in pale summer florals. Can I get away with trousers? Boots? Did I mention the super-stylish city centre hotel? Argh!

I don't necessarily need anything new, just want a steer as to what sort of outfit would work.

I would look for a smart trouser suit in a warm colour I think. Anything other than grey, navy or white.

A dark green or dark blue wiggle or midi dress would work. Try Pin Girl Clothing, Lindy Bop or Vivian of Hollaway - very classic styles to suit all shapes. It would be fairly rare for a woman to wear trousers to an Irish wedding...the couple I've been to at least!

I've been to lots of Irish weddings and the women dress up.
I can't remember seeing trouser wearing women at any of them.
Usually a dressy dress, wrap/ coat for service, high heels and a hat if you like.
There's a 50/50 chance it will rain.
You could use an umbrella.

If it's a super-stylish city centre hotel, then you need to dress up. You could get away with trousers if you really do it well, i.e. YSL le smoking look. There are some stylish jumpsuits around that might work

Yeah all Irish weddings are dressy pretty much. Would you do a silky blouse tucked into pencil skirt with heels and strong lip kind of thing? Tights fine as long as your blouse isn't sleeveless.

Jumpsuit good idea if you can pull one off.

I'd use it as an excuse to stock up on a new going out jacket and shoes and pair with a fairly plain (jewel coloured) dress. If you've got a glamorous coat/jacket and shoes it'll stop a more simple dress looking too much like office wear but with it just being accessories glammed up shouldn't look too eveningy if that makes sense? That said - nothing wrong with sequins in the day, it is a wedding after all!

Dress wise, something like this, this, this, or this
Jacket wise - fake fur, beaded, beaded 2, sequined cardigan, sequined blazer, or floral (also in plain)

Shoes - If you fancied boots, peacock, glitter, green, leopard, red and sparkly?
Shoes - metallic Mary Jane, black and gold, leopard, glitter (cream), glitter (navy), orange star print

Good luck finding something!

Tenuous great ideas there.
Are you a stylist?

Thanks Holly but no, just love dressing up!

No trousers.
Fab shift type dress that you'd get lots of use from. Think Audrey Hepburn. Dress up classy. And use a fabulous wrap or pashmina that you'll also get more use from. Or borrow one.

Sorry to abandon the thread - I was out this evening.

But wow, thanks everyone, definitely food for thought!

I do have a nice green party dress, but when I put my boring black blazer over it, I looked like I was off to a meeting... you are right, I need a party jacket! I'm loving the furry Coast one and particularly the New Look with sequins. The Boden jacket might be a little bit too "look at me" though.

Shoes are tricky online because my feet are awkward, but I have time for a little shopping trip.

Tights.. opaque black? Or....?

Dark/med sheer tights, maybe with a sheen depending on your legs - not opaques, they are officey and dull.

One of my pet hates is opaque black tights with everything, it looks as if it hasn't been thought through, but def not for a wedding.

Ooh ooh... just thought....

I have this dress already - would this work with the first jacket linked by Tenuous (the fur-collared one)? The print has some black in it.

It works in my head, anyway.... I might order the jacket anyway, as it's free delivery and return.

I wouldn't do opaques for a wedding. I'm fact, I'd stick to nude tights. But I know some MNers think they are wrong.

Are you expecting to be outside for a long time?

I doubt any part of the wedding will be outside, but we will have to walk from where we are staying and back again. The mean streets of Dublin in winter will require sturdy footwear (I guess I could change...).

Tenuous, love the sparkly Boden Mary Janes and the New Look beaded jacket. With a nice black shift dress and smart (not too thick) black opaques?

Lovely dress Cointrau - I'd go with nude tights with that as I think opaques would be too heavy with it. If the jacket suited it I'd go with nude tights, closed toe heels in either gold, black, cobalt or even a green/turquoise (like this - though these may be too close to navy and would clash with the black in the jacket. There's also these but they may be a little heavy, these or these - alternatively, plain gold?). I'd have a pair of flats as a back up for walking there/back and for that part of the night when your feet are killing, sure the hotel will have a cloakroom for them?
I wouldn't bother with a necklace but would go for some simple gold earrings (or maybe plain pearl studs) and a gold cuff style bracelet.

If the black jacket doesn't go maybe some sort of pale blue coat? Sill with nude tights, gold shoes and simple jewellery?

Agree with the combo suggested by Tenuous

Pale shoes (blue or gold) with that beautiful blue coat, gold earrings, and I'd also throw in a black pashmina in case the venue is a bit chilly when you arrive and first take off your coat.

Definitely nude tights

We have a plan!

Coast jacket with furry collar and New Look sequins have been ordered - also a lace jacket I spotted in the Coast sale.

I shall wear my blue and white Phase Eight dress with the first jacket (it needs something plain) OR a plain green fitted midi dress with either of the other two jackets. Whichever looks best. Shoes... always the tricky area with my rubbish feet. I like the Boden ones but they always come up too narrow for me. I will have to try a few pairs on.

I love the pale blue coat, but would prefer something I could keep on for the whole event if necessary and DH will kill me if I buy another coat

Thanks for all the great ideas, you stylish lot.

Cointreau you say you are walking from the venue to where you are staying ( or vice versa). It's January in Dublin, it could be ......
Lovely, crisp dry and sunny.
Lashing rain.
Snowing.
Just make sure you have a spare pair of suitable shoes/ boots.
There are lots of lovely shoe shops on/ near Grafton Street if you forget to bring a pair.
Fitzpatricks
Carl Scarpa
Brown Thomas
Thomas Patrick
Aldo
M&S
Clarkes
Cinders on Wicklow Street.
Boylans in the Royal Hibernian Way.
Have a great time.

Thanks Holly, I'm hoping it'll be the first one, but I won't be holding my breath!

No time to shop for shoes in Dublin before the wedding, unfortunately. Plenty of time afterwards, though.

Update - we have an outfit!

I shall be wearing my Phase Eight dress together with the gorgeous furry-collared Coast jacket recommended by Tenuous. Black court shoes and nude tights. Looks perfect for a city wedding, and will be warm enough for a Dublin January day.

I also ordered the New Look beaded jacket which would have gone with my plain green midi dress, but it didn't work; too "Liberace" for me, and rather shapeless. It would probably look lovely with skinny jeans, but not over a dress.

DH said my outfit looked "very nice" - high praise!

Thanks Tenuous and others for all your help. Looking forward to the wedding now!