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.

I went to two weddings last year

Wedding 1, church v formal, lots of morning suits and women wearing jewel coloured mainly tailored dresses with fascinators/hairpieces and hats.

Wedding 2, hotel, less formal but all the men in suits of some sort, although some (a minority) without ties. Women were wearing mostly wearing dresses but possibly a bit more relaxed.

I have a wedding invite for later this year. Luckily very relaxed...definitely no hats/ heels/ fascinators or posh frocks. Thank god.

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 agree

@Pyri

MN seems to sneer about dress codes on wedding invitations but they’re pretty standard IMO, did yours come with one?

My advice would be:
Men - no need to wear a formal suit, chinos, jacket and a shirt usually fine. Especially so if it’s abroad or an English summer wedding. If brother of groom a navy or grey suit probably would be nice
Women - nothing too short / flimsy / see through, nothing white
Accessories - THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT BIT - no, I repeat no, matching in 3s - ie shoes, bag and necklace in same colour. No pashmina. No fascinator. It’s not 2007 anymore.

S&B can suggest some stuff if you say what your shape / size / budget is

I've been to a lot of weddings. NEVER had a dress code specified!

Depends too if you want to be in the height of fashion for a wedding or are more relaxed about clothes.

Lots of people would get out a dress they wore 10 years ago or a pashmina and enjoy wearing those items. Lots will have a matching handbag and shoes and enjoy wearing them and come away with no sense about what are the ‘current’ things or not. Knowing your style, what suits you and what looks good on you for a formal occasion seem more important.

Anyone who had a rigid view of very determined ‘must not wear’ items - well, it seems pretty limited to me and to not have much sense of the fact that weddings by nature are usually for a whole crowd of ages and tastes. The idea that all of those age groups should want to wear the same thing or have a similar idea about what looks good, strikes me as odd and very narrow.

I love a summer wedding. It’s great to see the ladies in their lovely outfits and to see the full range. Sometimes the latest thing looks good and sometimes it doesn’t really. People feeling comfortable in what they’re wearing and enjoying themselves is the thing that stands out.

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

Yes agree I assume most posters are imagining a spindly headband from accessorise rather than a Philip Treacy or Vivien Sheriff

@Shiningpath

*”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…

I'm sure there is although why Julie's friends might not want to dress up isn't a given.

Anyway there's a whole world of weddings between those 2 extremes- so the "no fascinators" rule seems a bit silly.

@Anna197264

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??

There's quite a lot of nonsense on this thread- your dress is lovely and your matching shoes will be too.

Agree @KimikosNightmare and also, excellent post by @WombatChocolate

I've got an evening reception to go to this spring. I'm going to wear a teal dressy jumpsuit that I bought for a different wedding and never got to wear. Also have a black beaded headband that I picked up in the Oliver Bonas sale. But I have never ever been fond of either hats or fascinators so that suits me fine.

@Kite22

Pyri must be going to very different weddings from me.

Definitely all men wear suits at the weddings I've been to and the photos I've seen of my dc and dn's friends weddings.
People my age (ie, parents / Aunts / Godparents or the generation getting married) do often wear hats. They definitely co-ordinate their accessories.
Again, my dc's generation also wear matching shoes / bag etc.

Same. I’ve never been to a wedding where men didn’t wear suits.

I’m an over dresser and will grab any opportunity to wear a hat - God knows there are few enough chances. I personally dislike matching bags and shoes but most people go for them.

If you're on a budget Roman Originals has some great dresses. I wore this with a coordinating shrug thing to my DB's wedding last year and felt great in it:
www.roman.co.uk/floral-pleated-maxi-dress-14041436
(I'm 46 BTW and panicked for ages looking for something flattering and appropriate - this fitted the bill perfectly).

I went to a wedding a couple of weeks ago. The men all wore suits (it’s so easy for them!). Women wore nice dresses - think phase 8, Hobbs etc. I took a Fascinator with me but no one worn them so I didn’t (country house wedding).

Hobbs has a sale on at the moment.

@boobashka

If you're on a budget Roman Originals has some great dresses. I wore this with a coordinating shrug thing to my DB's wedding last year and felt great in it: www.roman.co.uk/floral-pleated-maxi-dress-14041436 (I'm 46 BTW and panicked for ages looking for something flattering and appropriate - this fitted the bill perfectly).

That's a lovely dress.

The last wedding we went to (at an abbey, so relatively formal), I noticed that only one guest wore a hat so she was a bit conspicuous. Thankfully no naff fascinators to be seen at all.

Then men all wore suits. I think chinos as suggested up thread would not do unless it was a register office or venue.

Dresses seemed to be the order of the day for women, young and old.

I’d avoid at all costs anything matchy-matchy ie shoes matching your bag.

As an aside, the bride had THREE dresses. Is this a thing? Imagine the (unnecessary) extra thousands of pounds that must’ve cost.

Thanks @KimikosNightmare
It was such a relief when it arrived and I tried it on. Hid all my lumps and bumps and I could finally look forward to the wedding without worrying about what I was going to wear

That dress is 100% polyester.

Is it just me that would be sweating within 10 minutes of putting it on?

The Roman Original dress is lovely.

To be fair @DillDanding I did debate having two dresses, when I married three years ago, and certainly wish I hadn’t decided against it. I had a beautiful dress but it was quite big and heavy, and HOT! A £75 dress from asos may have saved me getting quite so warm during the evening.
But three? That seems rather excessive!!

Went to a wedding in January. Bride was Indian/Malaysian, so there was a strong Eastern vibe. Shalwar Khameez, Indian collared jackets, a lot of silk and bling. It was wonderful.

I already had a plus-sized maxi dress from Simply be. It's pinky-patterned, and looks velvet but isn't. I blinged it up, and bought some flat pink courts. I just wore my hair down, no hat etc.

DD wore a green velvet swing dress from Collectif. She wore black tights and her polished up biker boots, which is her style. Again, nothing in the hair.

DH wore a navy suit, white shirt, and red tie to match the grooms outfit and the bride's wedding dress. He wore brown shoes and a pocket square. He was the best man.

@DillDanding
I did worry that the polyester works be a bit hit and sweaty but it was honestly fine. I think that made the dress so easy to squish into a suitcase - no ironing required

I noticed that only one guest wore a hat so she was a bit conspicuous

That would be me! Any excuse for a hat.

@KimikosNightmare thank you. I will probably wear them as they go perfectly with the outfit and I know the shoes are comfy. Tbh although I’m interested in the latest styles I’ll never pretend that I’m super on trend. Im still embracing my skinny jeans 😄

Could you go onto the venue's Instagram page and have a look at photos the venue has been tagged in?
It would give you an idea of outfits that guests have worn there recently

I'd love an excuse to buy one of these, ideally a frock / coat combo.

https://www.bombshellhq.com