Planning Advice: How To Set A Wedding Guest Dress Code

If you’re a fashion-forward bride and groom, it’s important to set a dress code for your wedding day. After all, it’s going to be one of the most incredible parties you’ll ever throw so you want to make sure everyone is dressed for the occasion.

There are actually a number of dress codes to choose from, so you’ll need to consider a number of things before you start advising your guests. Think about the venue and location of your wedding, for instance if you’re having a relaxed destination wedding in the scorching sunshine, smart-casual attire will be appropriate. On the other hand, if you’ll be wining and dining your guests in a magnificent ballroom, your wedding guest dress code may call for black tie.

The most important thing is to make it clear for your guests to understand the dress code – you don’t want your loved ones to turn up and feel out of place. First things first, you need to understand the dress code before you can communicate it to your guests. You will also need to let your friends and family know of any specific requests you may have well in advance to allow for enough time to shop or hire for their outfits. Remember that for your guests, finding the perfect wedding day look is a big enough task, without a confusing dress code being added in. 

Shops and online stores are overflowing with gorgeous wedding guest outfit options, although it can quickly become overwhelming – that’s without thinking about matching accessories. Your guests need to wear something they feel completely comfortable in to ensure they enjoy every second of your celebration, and a little advice on what to wear and what is appropriate will always be appreciated.

Here at Fascinators Direct, we recommend including the dress code in your invitations. For instance, an additional details card with all the important information about accommodation, gift list, transport etc should also include your advised dress code.

A short description in a fun yet informative way will be all you need to ensure your guests are utterly stylish on your special day. The below sentence details the dress code in a relaxed manner but will still encourage your loved ones to stick to it.

‘We can’t wait to welcome you in your finest black-tie attire as we celebrate our love story at Morden Hall Weddings in London’. 

If you’re a wedding guest and you’re feeling a little clueless when it comes to the dress code, here are our ultimate ‘Dos’ and ‘Don’ts’ for any celebration:

• Never wear white to a wedding unless you’re asked to. You don’t want to outshine the bride and get guests talking for all of the wrong reasons.
• Keep it classy! Mini-skirts, see-through dresses or outfits that reveal too much should always be avoided.
• Don’t break the bank when you’re choosing your wedding guest outfit – you don’t need to! A new accessory, such as a wedding hat or wedding fascinator, is sometimes all you need to transform an already-worn outfit.
• Wait until the groom has taken off his suit jacket before you take off your own – it’s tradition!
• Do make an effort – you’ll only end up looking scruffy and out of place if you haven’t bothered with your wedding day attire.
• Don’t stand out from the crowd too much! You shouldn’t detract from the bride and groom, and your outfit should never steal the spotlight.

We have plenty of swoon-worthy hair accessories for wedding guests, no matter what the theme, colour scheme or season!

Featured Image by Millie Benbow Photography | Image 2 by India Earl Photography | Image 3by Shannon Stent Images |