Can I wear a black dress to a wedding?

[Jollymollyx]

My sister said I would look more dressed for a funeral. What is the situation with black dresses for weddings? It’s off the shoulder and tight and I was going to wear a fascinator
Thanks

Tradition dictates that your sister is right.
There are lots of people that won't be bothered, and others that will be bothered, but the general advice is to avoid the colour of mourning when attending weddings, yes.

You can but you probably shouldn't.

I think plain or predominantly black is wrong for a wedding. It's meant to be a joyous occasion, not a funereal one.

Unless of course you are planning to be the complete bitch who makes a statement of disapproval by inappropriate attire. Which might seem like a good plan in theory, but always looks petty

I wore a navy dress to a wedding once, but jazzed it up with a gold shawl and shoes. I would wear black if I was only going to the evening do and it was a fancy, obviously non-funereal style, but not to the ceremony, especially if it was in a church.

I've seen it in Italy, chic and elegant, but not sure it would work here.

I think it's fine with the right accessories; bright shoes and bag, maybe chunky jewellery so it isn't so dour. But I would probably ditch the fascinator, personally. They almost always look odd to me.

I prefer black to white for weddings anyway. I always steer clear of mainly white.

Black’s not funereal for me, it’s chic. As a pp said, the last wedding I went to in Italy was full of wonderful black outfits.

I can’t get excited about those ‘traditions’, and I loathe florals.

Not unless you're the vicar

Can we see the dress? What kind of fabric is it? What accessories are you thinking of?

Not for a daytime wedding in the UK. If it’s an evening event then maybe (and positively de rigeur in the US, where black tie weddings are quite normal).

Black, off the shoulder and tight sounds like a clubbing dress. Would it have passed muster at Prince Harry’s wedding? If not, it’s a No. Just not appropriate. Dresses are currently midi and waisted. Wear heels and a small hat or saucer hat. Look at Ascot pix for ideas. Never a fascinator. They are dead. A very wide Alice band is the latest trend. Chic and simple.

I think black looks very chic at weddings.

Funerals these days often feature bright colours and other quirks requested by the deceased.

I think the funeral/wedding divide is being eroded fast.

It's a no from me

I would wear shoes in some other colour, with earrings and big necklace/bracelet. Your bag could harmonise with the jewellery and shoes.

Purple, burgundy, metallic, and dark green are all options for breaking up the black.

Red lip, bold eyes, and bob's your uncle.

I like black for weddings. I would add splashes (that’s as bad as a “pop”) of colour.

It is a hotel wedding that starts at 4 and then followed by an evening party, I was going to wear metallic Valentino stud shoes with a ysl clutch. Maybe a broach hair slide if not a fascinator but headband is also a good idea.

It’s a midi dress, what I meant by tight was it’s sleek, it’s got a big layer of frills around the chest as you have those slots for your arms, I’ll be 6-7 months pregnant too so hence why black made me feel smaller.

But ok I think I’ll wear this other light coloured midi strappy dress instead that I was considering

Black never looks good at a wedding, look at Fergie at the wedding.
Yes you’ll look good in the strappy dress.

I’ve worn blackjack to two weddings. One black with big, white spots and one black with big, red roses. If anyone was offended, no one said anything and I didn’t notice. Still talk to the people who got married.

*black

Not sure where blackjack came from...

It depends on your complexion - Fergie has a complexion that gets washed out by black. Other people look fab in black.

It’s the kind of thing that some people won’t mind, and some will think is rude/inappropriate.

I wouldn’t take the risk of offending or upsetting the people who might be bothered.

I’ve only once seen black worn at a wedding and that was deliberately as a bitchy “this couple shouldn’t be marrying” statement.

Hmm - 4pm wedding in a smart hotel in town could mean that black is fine. I take it there’s no dress code on the invitations? Could you find out what the men in the wedding party are wearing?

I got married during winter and a few people wore black/dark colours and they all looked lovely. I didn’t mind at all.

Yes this wedding is autumn, i think it will be okay I know another girl wearing a dark brown but I think I will just wear the lighter dress incase

I once wore a black dress to a wedding with a gold jacket and gold shoes and accessories. The style of the dress wasn’t funereal in any sense and the outfit looked good I think. I was much younger then and didn’t have as much choice in my wardrobe So maybe I’d choose differently now as I’ve got more choice and like colour more but I stand by it as an appropriate wedding outfit