Been invited to a wedding - what to wear?

[Cindy]

So I got a wedding invitation today and of course I'll be going as me.

What do I wear?

It is a church wedding and then an evening reception.

What do fashionable ladies wear to weddings?

And I'm no spring chicken.

My avatar is me, I have a different hairstyle now though. Must post a new pic.

Cindy

[Shawn Sunshine]

How about this>

http://www.wikihow.com/Dress-for-an-Evening-Wedding

http://www.polyvore.com/what_do_wear_to_evening_fall_wedding/advice.show?id=347564

[Kit.the.Kat]

I went to a few weddings last year  and subtle floral or pale corals and pastels teamed with a little bit of black looked good. I used to do Fashion design at school and these sort of fabrics work well for most weddings if you find  good clothing you like as it can be dressed up with a jacket and shoes for formal wear, or kept casual as well. I know I'm of a younger generation but I like how they look. c:


I hope you enjoy the wedding! c:

[sandrauk]

Well you don't want to upstage the bride, so something like this would be fine

http://cdn.fashionista.com/uploads/2011/11/pippa-middleton-bridesmaid-dress.jpg?9d7bd4

If you need some ideas you could always check out the photographers websites.

[Ms. OBrien CVT]

What is the venue?  Is Black Tie?

Generally you would want to wear a business suit, it it is not black tie.  Or a formal dress.  Avoid white, it is the brides day after all.

A LBD with a jacket for the wedding, and remove the jacket for the reception.

[FTMDiaries]

Depends on your culture, the venue and on the time of day. I'm not sure what the usual procedure is in Oz, but here in the UK women are expected to wear some sort of hat or fascinator for a church wedding.

I've found that a smart dress (not too short) or suit is fine. We generally frown on bared shoulders for church weddings, so a jacket or shawl is a good idea - or a smart blouse.

I always found that dressing elegantly, as if you were going to a job interview, will go down well as long as it isn't too dowdy. You can always jazz it up with some accessories.

I'd also recommend wearing smart heels to the wedding, and bringing a set of flats with you for the reception. Wearing heels for hours on end can be painful, especially when there's dancing involved.

Heck, as long as you don't turn up in the altogether and you remember to bring a prezzie, I'm sure you'll do fine.

[Brooke777]

Dress like you would for work while at the wedding. Then change into what you would wear to a party for the reception. That's what I do for weddings even when I was presenting male.

[Elspeth]

Conventions really do vary a lot depending on where you are, and the culture of the families hosting the wedding and reception. Conventions for receptions in Utah, where I grew up (usually only immediate family are allowed to attend the temple wedding ceremony itself) are more casual than those of East Coast, mostly formal or semi-formal weddings and receptions I've attended.

If you aren't super close to the bride or groom's families, find someone who is and who has attended similar weddings to what they expect this one will be, and get a sense from them about what the range of dress is likely to be for women your age. In addition to not showing up the bride, it's possible to overdress and steal attention from the mother of the bride, also a faux pas, though not one quite as serious as the former.