What did you wear to your registry office wedding?

[Crushed23]

I’m at a loss as to what to wear! I want it to be special and memorable, but at the same time I don’t want anything remotely bridal. I’ve got a gorgeous white blazer that I could wear, that’s as wedding-y as I could go - but then what would I wear this with?

It’s a very casual affair. PILs will be witnesses. There will be photos but not professional.

Would a bouquet (a simple one) be overkill? I quite like the idea of a fascinator, too, but same concern!

Special jewellery for the occasion or not?

Help an accidental/reluctant bride out 😩

(First marriage, mid-30s, if relevant.)

Thanks!

I wore a very old (but beloved!) pair of cream shorts that were hand-me-downs from my mum and a white vest top from uniqlo with a short-sleeved shirt open over the top. Wife similarly kitted out in uniqlo shorts and top! (we are both women). It was a very hot day last summer and at least some of our six guests were very relieved at there being no expectation to be in suits etc. Appreciate this may be a bit more casual than most! Many congratulations in advance of your special day.

Thank you!

I actually LOVE the idea of shorts. I’m petite so short/mini dresses or shorts suit me really well. It’s going to be at the height of summer so I do need to keep that in mind and wear something comfortable (no doubt we will want photos outside too).

Any bouquet/fascinator/hat for you?

Congratulations!
We had a very low key wedding at our local registry office. I did my own hair & make up and I wore a cream wrap dress that was actually a bridesmaid dress but I loved it & felt very comfortable. I had a proper (but small) bouquet & so did DD who was bridesmaid. Everyone else had a corsage (there were only 7 of us in total!) Having ‘proper’ flowers made us feel more like a wedding party & looked lovely in the photos. Then we went for afternoon tea at a local hotel & were back home by 4pm!
I think special jewellery sounds nice but special doesn’t have to mean showy or big, just something you love.
We also didn’t have a professional photographer & we managed to get some good photos. The day after the wedding was better weather than the wedding day itself so me & DH got dressed up again (flowers were still fresh!) and DD took some lovely photos of us in our garden.

Your wedding day sounds all kinds of lovely 🥰

You’ve also persuaded me that a bouquet is the way to go!

We haven’t decided what we’re doing afterwards, but were thinking along the lines of a nice lunch or afternoon tea. So the outfit would need to be appropriate for that.

ASOS has loads of inexpensive mini wedding dresses. I think informal doesn’t have to mean you wear something old or what you would wear to the beach. I think most people do want to look back and feel they looked like a bride and made a bit of effort.

Thankyou x
I’m so glad we had the flowers even though they were they most expensive part of the day - you won’t regret it!
Wishing you all the best for your special day.

Camilla - Ivory (TH & TH)

I wore this to my March-26 registry office wedding; I felt lovely in it. Bridal but simple and cost effective.

That’s gorgeous @foreversunshine !

I’m avoiding white/cream except for maybe the blazer, but love the simplicity and elegance of your dress.

Budget? Do you want something you'll wear again?

You say it's a casual affair - but do YOU want to be casual too?

A mini dress would be fun. Do you want to stick with white/ivory? I love this - a classic. To me it's fun, not overly bridal. But I realise this is subjective!!!

https://www.mytheresa.com/gb/en/women/vivienne-westwood-sunday-minidress-white-p01065099

Totally agree.

I definitely want to look back at a really great outfit.

Ah - just missed you saying you don't want white or cream! What colours do you like/suit?

What would the blazer go well with, re style & length & shape? A short dress? A midi dress? Trousers? A pencil skirt??

Budget ~£500, but would definitely stretch this for the right outfit.

Absolutely love that VW dress but I want to avoid white/cream, yes.

Want a dress/outfit I can wear again.

Heavily leaning towards a mini dress. Something a bit different / with an edge, ideally, so VW is very much along the right lines. Thanks for the tip!

I wore a kind of short, cream blazer-dress, then a white padded headband. I got some local flowers from the market the day before as a little bouquet. Afterwards we went to the pub for pie and mash. Walked the dog and watched a film. It was just us - witnesses were the photographer and someone who worked at the council. It was lovely

I wore a burgundy bias-cut crushed velvet dress from Jigsaw, with a pale pink cardi (switched to a wrap later in the evening), small pink hyacinth flowers wired into my hair. Small bouquet of pink roses and eucalyptus.

That was 24 years ago - dress has been worn several times since, and not just by me. DD2 wore it for her graduation last year.

I’d maybe also look at smock mini dresses, some great shoes and definitely flowers. You could wear one in your hair. Not sure what you’re like with strong colours but that could really give the wow factor. Don’t forget your sunglasses and have a wonderful day

I wore a long white dress from Mango which I’d bought on my hen in Spain. Really quite simple but elegant. Saw it in the window as I passed with my girlfriends. Still wear it now! Ten years on !

A lovely jacquard wiggle dress.

like this but blue and black

https://www.thehouseoffoxy.com/products/1950s-foxy-lady-wiggle-dress-holly-green

I wore my mother's vintage going away outfit, which was an eighties blue suit.

Similar to this one on Etsy, but hers had a mini skirt. I wore it with white shoes and had a small bouquet.

Etsy suit

I wore a cream wrap dress with blue flowers on it. No bouquet. We got fish and chips afterwards, it was great.

Register office. Not registry

~ yawn ~ There is a whole Pedants Corner forum you can access...

I wore a dress that was not wedding-y. More like evening dress? Plain and simple one. Not sure how best to describe it. Was long, but was not summer. Husband wore a suit but bought a tie to match my dress. No flowers or jewellery. Did go to a photographer after.

I would say, don't overthink it. The actually getting married part takes a matter of minutes unless you find a way to really drag it out 😄

Flowers in the hair instead of a fascinator would be fab, or a band like @CopeNorth had.

Have a lovely day. I’m a first time bride to be in my 50s. We will be doing similar and i will not be wearing white cream or any other pale colour. Just a nice outfit I can wear again.

if you are marrying in heat how about smart shorts with waistcoat sort of look. Could look really nice with a bouquet.

I wore a dark peach coloured fitted jacket with a floaty pleated silk skirt in cream. Put a cream silk cami under the jacket in case it was warm but it wasn't! And wore cream sling back heels. My Mum is a florist and insisted on making me a bouquet in peach and cream roses - it was beautiful and did make me feel like a bride though I wasn't so sure about the headband she'd made to match

If I was getting married again, I'd go for a very out there velvet dress.