Attending a wedding is an honor. It means that you your relationship to either the bride or groom is important enough that they wanted to include you in one of the most special moments of their life. This means that you will want to put some time in effort into choosing your outfit for the big day. There are many styles of dresses for wedding guests, and choosing one that is appropriate will be a strong consideration in your preparation to attend.

While of course you will want to look fantastic, dresses for wedding guests should be of such a style that there is no risk of upstaging the bride or her attendants. This is one of the biggest social faux pas a wedding guest can commit. It is fun to get dressed up, but remember that this day is all about the bride. If you have any doubts about how formally the bride and her attendants will be dressed, it is always better to ask a member of the wedding party than to show up wearing a formal gown at a wedding where the bride has chosen something less traditional and more low-key.

Dresses for Wedding Guests for Every Type of Wedding

There are several other factors to consider when choosing from the many available styles of dresses for wedding guests. Typically speaking, these will be where the wedding is being held, the season, whether or not the wedding has a theme, and the time of day. A wedding held in a magnificent church will call for a more formal and conservative style of dress than one that is held on a beach. Seasonally, you will want to consider length and the type of material to make sure that you are comfortably dressed for the temperature. If a bride has planned a themed wedding, she may appreciate a dress that conforms to the theme; even if you don’t want to go so far as wearing the equivalent of a costume, some small detail that adheres to the theme will show that you put time and thought into your selection. Evening weddings are typically more formal than daytime weddings.

While it should go without saying, you will also want to ensure that you don’t cross the line between choosing a dress that is sexy and one that is inappropriate. Even if the reception is going to be a wild party, there should be a big difference between what you wear to a wedding and what you would wear to a nightclub. In all likelihood there will be guests ranging in age from small children to the elderly, so dress the way you would to attend any other all-ages event. If you wouldn’t wear it to your grandma’s house, don’t wear it to a wedding.

There are all sort of styles of dresses for wedding guests, and if you are unsure about which to choose it can be helpful to enlist the help of a sales associate. She has probably done this many times; if you offer her the details you have about the wedding you can breathe easy knowing that your new dress is just right.