CHOOSING a wedding guest dress can be tricky as you don’t want to miss the mark.
One woman, who had the added challenge of finding her bridesmaid dress, caused a stir after sharing the strappy dress she had been eyeing up for the wedding.
She shared photos of the burgundy-coloured dress, which had thin straps and a sweetheart neckline.
Although the dress was floor-length, it was figure-hugging and had a high leg slit.
Meanwhile, the dress had a low back with a corset-style, lace-up design.
The bridesmaid wrote on Reddit: “Appropriate as a wedding guest dress?
“I’m in a wedding where we are selecting our own bridesmaids dresses in the same colour scheme.
“The bride wants us wearing the same colour and material but in different designs.
“Another girl took my top pick before I could so this is another option I’m considering but am wondering if it’s too sexy?”
Immediately people were quick to chime in with their views on the burgundy dress.
One said: “This is the classic Jessica Rabbit dress” [referring to the sexy cartoon character].
Another added: “I think this gives attention-seeking vibes.”
A third wrote: “Kind of a tough one for me.
“This dress is like, right on the brink of what I would consider too sexy for a wedding guest, but it really depends on the crowd.
“I’ve absolutely seen people wearing similar things to the weddings I’ve been to, but it’s usually been only a few people. Most are wearing things that are a little more demure.
“If you have big breasts boosted up like that, people will notice and not in a good way at someone else’s wedding.”
However, some people defended the bridesmaid’s dress.
One wrote: “If the bride is fine with it then go for it. I don’t think this is too sexy.
“The model’s poses definitely are, but i reckon you’ll be posing more normal in photos lol.”
JOSIE Griffiths, Deputy Editor at Fabulous, who is tying the knot this year, has shared her thoughts on wearing white to a wedding...
Josie Griffiths said: I tend to consider myself pretty low maintenance from a fashion and beauty point of view.
I can be out the door in 20 minutes in the morning, normally do my mascara on the bus or the Tube, and spend my work from home days in my gym gear.
But when it comes to my wedding this summer, that’s all gone out the window.
Professional hair and makeup is booked for 8am, I’ve gone all out on my wedding dress, got designer shoes and even bought a second dress for the evening do.
So when I think about someone wearing a white gown to my big day, yeah I think I’d be pretty mad.
The idea behind not wearing a white dress goes back to not wanting to ‘upstage the bride’.
Which, to be fair, is unlikely. Not only has she possibly spent a small fortune on her look for the day, she’s also one of the only two people present who knows (and hopefully likes) all the guests.
So the main risk you’re taking is just making yourself look quite silly – and getting gossiped about by total strangers.
A wedding guest I met in October 2022 still sticks out in my mind. I still don’t know what was worse – the fact she was so drunk she was crashing into people on the dance floor, or her decision to wear a white dress, which was arguably marginally improved by the glass of red wine she’d drunkenly tipped down herself.
I know weddings are expensive for everyone and it’s fair enough if you don’t want to buy a whole new outfit – I’m all for re-using what’s already in your wardrobe.
Just avoid the white dress for the bride’s sake – and your own.
The bridesmaid replied: “The bride said she’s good with this option but I want to get something I can re-wear as a wedding guest for future weddings as well.”
But what do wedding planners say is the rule when it comes to guest outfits?
Wedding planner and event designer Caroline Larocca told Fabulous: “I’m not saying don’t be sexy, but being too revealing to the level where it’s trashy doesn’t look appropriate.”
Caroline explained a good rule of thumb is to choose either the top or bottom to show skin, but never both.
Bright colours like neon and garish prints should be avoided for weddings.
Of course, there is a way to wear bright prints and colours well, but Caroline recommended not taking the risk if you don’t know exactly what you’re doing.
“This isn’t the time to experiment with fashion,” she explained.
Not only that, but neon colours can ruin weddings pictures, especially if everyone else is blending in and you stick out like a sore thumb.
