Your observations on modern wedding guest attire please.

[TunaPaste]

Finally there's a wedding in the calender and I've released that I have no idea how a wedding will look in 2022.
So your observations and opinions please.
I'm in danger of panic buying and ending up looking like the mother of the bride from 'Four Weddings & a Funeral' heavily channeling the 1990s. (I'm 50, normally a bit scruffy Cos)

I also have two teen girls to channel in the 'right' direction, what does everyone wear these days?

And a husband? Do men wear formal suits, ties? He's the brother of the groom but not best man.

Last wedding I went to I wore a flowing midi summer dress from &other stories, a pair of silver block heel sandals from carvella and a paper Japanese style parasol as it was scorching hot.

I’m surprised at everyone saying every wedding they’ve been to the men have all been in suits, even googling “summer mens wedding attire” brings up jacket / trouser combos and only one suit in there.

All the weddings I go to now the men are dressed like this, some suits but mostly the chino / jacket combo.

I’m trying to add some images but can’t

I haven't been to a wedding in over 10 days but I think you can't go wrong with:

✔A dress
✔Doesn't show too much leg
✔Doesn't show too much boob
✔Isn't white

An elegant 2 piece or a jumpsuit might work too.

Years*!!! 😂

I watch weddings every week at the hotel spa where I am member. Nearly every wedding is identical, the women wear bright coloured, often floral dresses, some with a blazer. At least half look really uncomfortable in them, maybe it’s the dress, maybe it’s the shoes. The young females wear short dresses. The guests who look most stylish wear a plain colour.

Hats are still worn (not compulsory) but facinators are very 90s. So not do that.

Definitely suits for men

Suits 100%. Chinos are for beach weddings only.

The last wedding I went to one chap wore chinos and a jacket and stuck out like a sore thumb.

Doesn’t it depend on the crowd?

If it’s a city, registry office or ceremony in a hotel, followed by a hotel reception, with lots of people who are into designer gear….well that will be the vibe.

I think it’s quite different when it’s in a country Church and followed by a marquee in someone’s garden, or somewhere more private.

At weddings alive been to in the last 5 years - ones which I was at as a family member ir friend of the parents type thing, lots of the 40s/50s had elements of their outfits from 20 years ago. They had been fantastic items then and still are now…..but very subtle and nit really about a ‘full new outfit’ where someone went out and bought a dress, jacket, shoes and had a day in the spa or beauty parlour. Some of them were probably wearing at least one item that they might wear to work, given dresses instead of suits are now more the thing. None of the weddings I’ve been to have extended over multiple days or been abroad, thank goodness. They have been the standard affair with the service at late lunch time,followed by a wedding breakfast, speeches and often an evening band or barn dance or disco. Because most haven’t been in hotels, people then all head off home or to wherever they are staying.

Isn’t all this stuff with photo booths, chocolate fountains, multiple entertainments, flower walls and everything on its way out for the vast majority of younger people getting married these days?

Maybe I’m behind the times.

I'm very amused at the idea that @speckledeggshell hasn't been to a wedding in over ten days.....we may have to stage an intervention, smuggle her in as a plus one.

looking like they'd missed the memo

This is the key bit. DH is going to kick up a fuss about the suit. I know he'll argue he never wears one for work but that is the point about these civil occasions, it's about making an effort, a nod of respect to the hosts.

And I don't want to be 'those' guests in the photos, the ones that slightly stick out in a shabby, under groomed or old school way rather than a glorious sunglasses and trouser suit, relaxed way.

Phase eight have loads of nice dresses and jumpsuits that look wedding ready, you can’t go wrong in there. Some people like a fascinator, I don’t so I went for a smaller clip in flower at the last wedding I went to but some had nice hair accessories with pearls and diamantés and things in which looked lovely x

@maddy68

Hats are still worn (not compulsory) but facinators are very 90s. So not do that.

Why were so many worn at Megan and Harry's wedding then?

@Bunce1 that sounds lovely, I bet you looked great

I would love to know where you are in the World, @Pyri where people don't wear suits to weddings.

The only wedding I have been to where men weren't wearing suits (counting kilts, and military uniform as suits) was a 'wedding party' which was in a field, the day after the couple had their legal wedding on the Friday, and everyone was instructed to wear jeans, shorts or whatever they felt comfortable in, in a hilly, bumpy field, with quite a hike to the toilet block.

This is the key bit. DH is going to kick up a fuss about the suit. I know he'll argue he never wears one for work but that is the point about these civil occasions, it's about making an effort, a nod of respect to the hosts.
My dh never wears a suit for work (his is pretty senior in his field, a Manager, etc). My ds never wears a suit for work (not senior! ) but isn't that the whole thing about going somewhere special at the weekend, that you dress up, and don't wear your work clothes ?
What makes it easier for men, if money is tight, or they just don't like spending on clothes they won't wear often, is that they can buy one decent sombre coloured suit and wear it for all wedding and all funerals. Obviously there are more fashionable choices if they choose to splash out for different occasions.

Following!

I’ve seen lots and lots of wedding photos over the past few weeks (my colleagues are all sharing and showing post lockdown weddings) and they are very formal - men in suits, women with fascinators. Tans and blow-dry. Obviously you aren’t expected to do any of those things (I wouldn’t) but they are all still very popular.

I think the only difference today is that the colour of bag and accessories no longer has to match, that’s quite old fashioned.

The thing is, a man who shows up in a suit and tie can easily fix being 'overdressed' by removing the tie. Show up in chinos and a jacket when everyone else is in a suit, and you risk looking like you're doing an ironic Jim Bowen impression.

”Hats are still worn (not compulsory) but facinators are very 90s. So not do that.”
Why were so many worn at Megan and Harry's wedding then?

Maybe there’s a difference between a prince having a royal wedding in the grounds of a castle and your mate Julie getting hitched at Wigan Register Office…

No matching shoes and bag as I think it’s a bit dated now.

I have never been to a wedding where one of the men haven’t worn a suit. I’m not talking fancy affairs either. Even manual workers etc who never wear a suit any other occasion (apart from funerals) all wore suits, despite some of them not being that keen.

@Mackmama- thank you. I felt good for an old bird (46)

I’m always surprised by the way it is stated with absolute certainty on Mumsnet that ‘noone wears (or should wear) hats or fascinators’ to weddings, when my experience has been quite the opposite. A casual registry office wedding would be different but the vast majority of woman guests at church and specific formal wedding venues tend towards some form of headgear ime, be that a hat, fascinator or a fancy headband. I do agree that the feathery spindly fascinators on a clip (and the ilk) look very dated now tho. The matching shoes/bag I agree does look a little dated as well.
Men, it’s a mix of suits and jacket/trouser combos I find. I think a suit with waistcoat is the smartest look, and lends itself well to still looking smart once the jacket is removed.

I’m going to a wedding in July and wearing this

www.little-mistress.com/gina-bacconi-brenna-floral-dress-p26749

I was going to wear some shoes that match with a handbag and earrings I have (light gold type colour) but given the comment on matching accessories I might rethink this! However I can’t really afford to spend anymore money so maybe I could wear my turquoise wedges??

Men in chinos at a wedding? Absolutely not unless it’s an informal destination wedding.