How would you style this dress for an evening reception?

[NotDarkGothicMama]

DH and I are going to a colleague's evening do for their wedding in May. I have this dress that has been sitting in my wardrobe waiting for an occasion to wear it, but no idea how to style it. Makeup, nails, shoes, jewellery, bag... no clue.

The reception is at a very posh hotel in Scotland. I don't wear high heels and the reception involves a ceilidh, so comfortable footwear is a must. Looking at a budget of £200 for the shoes, jewellery and bag. I'm 5'4", size 10-12, mouse blonde shoulder-length hair, usually found in jeans and a hoodie. My hair is as flat as a pancake so will be pinned up in an up do to keep it out of the way.

Any help from people with an iota of dress sense would be very much appreciated!

You don't need a blazer.

If you’re only going for the evening you can wear any jacket and just take it off on arrival.

Those shoes are perfect and will look gorgeous with the dress you have. Have a lovely time

These are extremely comfortable I have worn the silver for a fancy do and felt appropriate.
www.johnlewis.com/fitflop-delicato-leather-bow-ballerina-pumps/silver/p112109096?size=7&s_ppc=2dx_mixed_fashion_BAU&tmad=c&tmcampid=2&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20151161232&gbraid=0AAAAAD2el1xWobTAQBDDm1o9ITNhWuQdv&gclid=CjwKCAiAnoXNBhAZEiwAnItcG_u74ENyXIAPwpXYYz5z_ZAwJCwCHrLwYoiPSMlMhM6oIQHZXrMxMxoCp0QQAvD_BwE

Is it a metallic creamy one? I'm crap with eyeliner, but used to have a lovely poison green metallic eyeshadow from Urban Decay ... I apply shadows like that damp, with a pointed sponge applicator or brush, to look like eyeliner, as I find it much easier. Drags over the wrinkles less these days too, I find, than pencil liner!!

Much nicer than the dance shoes.

Yes, it’s nice and soft. I do the eyeshadow thing more than I do liner these days too. Urban Decay eyeshadows are the best!

This is the eyeliner. The eyeshadow is the same colour/name www.boots.com/urban-decay-24-7-eye-pencil-10267309?affwin&utm_source=Redbrain+Ltd-176013&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=Boots+-+CSS&utm_term=&utm_content=&sv1=affiliate&sv_campaign_id=176013&awc=2041_1772211419_8a4d5a3e5a92c5c1fb44a3676bb1e255

You need some flat or kitten heeled pointed toe silver sling backs, will look stylish and easy to dance in. Keep jeweller minimal, the dress is too detailed for long necklaces, maybe some nice silver earrings, and then a cute silver bag; you can lovely ones on Vinted

Did you go for these because of the price, OP - as you don't think you'll wear them again? Your dress looks very cool green & silver, whereas these are listed as pink (champagne) leatherette - ie polyurethane or similar. Only Grace Jones can make leatherette sound good, warm or otherwise ... I just don't think they're the right colour. And I can see why you wouldn't wear this style of shoe again - but a silver pump (with a strap/tie) or similar would be very re-wearable? Or do you want added height?

I posted more expensive options than these up-thread - but I'm sure you must be able to get leather for a decent price (unless you prefer vegan-friendly footwear)?

For dancing I would either take some trainers (if I knew other people were) or get some silver tap (without the taps) or jazz shoes. I don't mind ballet pumps but whenever I wear them people tread on my feet and I can imagine this is a real hazard at a ceilidh.

Slingbacks not good for dancing imo

You do not need tap, or jazz, or dance shoes, or even trainers at a ceilidh wedding dance.

I know you don't. I was stating what I would do, based on previous ceilidhs and barn dances I've been to, and knowing my own feet.

Like these?https://www.schuh.co.uk/womens/converse-all-star-hi-silver-trainers/1928527660/

I took my gabor white sneakers to a wedding and changed into them immediately after the ceremony . . . and I couldn't give a shit about judgey people like you . . . my feet were comfy all day and evening. Converse would be good 😁

Any of the silver mary janes other people listed. The Alohas Luke ones with lots of straps look a bit similar to traditional Ghillie shoes, so very appropriate for a Scottish cealidh.

Any plain silver bag with a long detachable strap. The rectangular kind that Princess Kate uses a lot is a good start point.

Swerve long necklaces and long droppy earrings because they fly up and off. You don't need a necklace with such an ornamented dress. If you wear a cross, think small silver cross, 14-16" fine chain, not bishop's pectoral cross.

Short silver pendant earrings if hair up, otherwise just stick to studs or huggies.

You will need a shawl because Scotland is never warm. I suggest some kind of pashmina in the same kind of light green as the dress, unless you are entitled to clan tartan, in which case, wear your clan's tartan.

This is literally what I recommended, however I was told the shoes wouldn't work for the dancing part! The ballroom dancing shoes will ruin the whole look imo. If the OP doesn't want sling backs or kitten heels, I'd choose flat pointed shoes. But the fashion/style loving part of me is screaming out for kitten pointed sling backs!

Have you ever actually been in Scotland, let alone a wedding in Scotland?

And as for the suggestion of wearing a "clan tartan" and shoes that are clearly intended for the competitive Highland or Irish dancing, which bears no resemblance whatsoever to the dancing at a ceilidh or wedding dance - OP would look ridiculous.

I got the shoes because I thought dance shoes would be comfortable and they're pretty. If they don't work then I'll send them back and go for silver, but I quite like the idea of warming up the look. A pink shawl/jacket isn't something I'd ever have thought of - willing to give it a try as I have time to experiment.

I've ordered the green eyeliner - I've booked in for someone who knows what they're doing to pin my hair up but reckon I could probably learn how to do my makeup by then.

Ooh let me know how you get on with the eyeliner. It might look a bit scary at first glance but it’s more subtle once on!

I think @selffellatingouroborosofhate waa referring to wearing these shoes - she posted the link to the ghillie ones as she thought they echoed them, which they do a bit?

There is a certain type of person at ceilidhs that does embrace the whole clan tartan thing & doing things very "properly"!!! Some are completely up themselves ... but I think most people (Scottish or not) are just there to have fun & follow the steps ...!!!!

Pointed toe, kitten-heeled silver slingbacks would be the perfect shoe type to update the dress, so I agree sartorially.

But once ceilidh dancing gets going, it's quite fast & furious & something like that could be lethal!!

People I know here in Edinburgh/Glasgow, who do it regularly & are decent ceilidh dancers, will have favourite dancing shoes etc. Some women like flat - some women like a bit of a heel. The main thing is that the sole has grip & the shoe is secure on the foot - so ballet shoes/slingbacks without foot or ankle strap ties just won't cut it.

I don't know anyone who changes into trainers - but that's because most weddings here have ceilidhs so people will get the wear out of shoes that do both ceremony & dancing. Some people on the thread (& the previous one I posted) obviously do swap shoes though.

So maybe that is a good solution for someone like the OP who's not likely to be at a ceilidh again anytime soon. Wear shoes you love that pair perfectly with the dress - & change into trainers/silver Converse/comfy secure footwear of your choice, for the dancing bit!!!

There is a certain type of person at ceilidhs that does embrace the whole clan tartan thing & doing things very "properly"!!!

And tbh, they look a bit prattish. This event is a wedding dance. I've never been to a wedding where the entire dancing part is a ceilidh. There'll be a disco as well. I wear flat ballet style pumps for this and never have a problem.

I really, really don't like the ballroom dancing style shoes, including the ones the OP has picked, which I think would be terrible to do ceilidh dancing in anyway. Isn't that type of shoe for the performative, competition dancing?

I'm definitely not entitled to any tartans. I'm as English as they come.