I thought that this article of 8 Rules on What to Wear to a Wedding as kinda cute. It's funny, yet gives you some great points. Check it out below:
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Last
year, TheKnot.com (part of XO Group Inc.) surveyed approximately 13,000
American brides and grooms who were married in 2013. The results,
compiled into their
Real Weddings Study, revealed some staggering figures.
Did you know, for example, that the average cost of a wedding
nowadays is nearly $30,000? (And that doesn’t even include the
honeymoon.) Invitations alone can run around $500. And the cake? That’ll
be another $500. On average, flowers and decorations amount to over
$2,000. Same goes for the band and also for the photographer.
Here’s another one: The average amount of money that a bride spends
on her wedding dress is $1,281. That’s a slight increase from 2012’s
average of $1,211 and definitely more than what most of us are paying in
rent.
What these numbers from The Knot’s survey tell us is that
weddings are not cheap, so if you’re invited to one, you should put in some effort, too. That not only means RSVPing on time, sending a gift
from the registry,
and trying not to get too wasted at the open bar, but also showing up
dressed appropriately — no matter how many eligible single folks are
alleged to be there.
Since we’re in the thick of wedding season, how about a quick refresher on wedding dress code etiquette? I reached out to
our friends at The Knot for their expert advice and here’s what some of their editorial staff had to say on the subject:
1. There Should Only Be One White Dress In The Room
If there’s one thing to take away from how
not to dress at a
wedding, it’s that wearing white (or ivory or champagne, for that
matter) is a big no-no. While not all brides are wearing white these
days, it’s better to be safe than sorry. “Don’t take any chances wearing
a white dress (no matter how casual it is), unless the bride
specifically asks guests to wear white,” says Ivy Jacobson, an assistant
editor at TheKnot.com. “Save it for another fabulous summer party!”
2. Remember The Rule of One
Showing too much skin is another faux pas at weddings. Despite how
awesome you look and however many hours you’ve spent toning and tanning,
the bride is going to want all eyes on her. That being said, it’s OK to
accentuate your favorite asset. “[Your outfit] can have one sexy
element like a plunging neckline, short hemline, cut out, low back, or a
body con fit, but no more than one,” says Simone Hill, TheKnot.com’s
assistant editor. “It’s a different story if you’re hitting the club,
but a wedding is not the club no matter how low you’re planning to get
on the dance floor.”
3. Accessorize Appropriately
“Cleavage is not an accessory,” says Rebecca Dolgin, The Knot’s Editor-In-Chief. Let’s leave it at that.
4. Read The Invitation
You’ve marked the date on your calendar, booked a room at the
recommended hotel, and made your travel plans, but did you notice where
the wedding is going to be? I’m not talking about the city, but the
actual venue. Paying attention to these details should hopefully answer
any questions about what you should wear. “Look to the invitation for
clues like ‘semi-formal,’ ‘beach chic,’ or ‘black tie,’ but read between
the lines,” says Lauren Kay, The Knot’s style editor. “If the ceremony
is at a church, you’ll need a pashmina to tone down your barely-there
backless dress. If you’re still stumped, ask yourself this: If you met
anyone tonight—your grandmother’s second cousin, the man of your dreams,
a future employer—would you want to be wearing that dress?” I think the
last part of this tip is good advice whether you’re at a wedding or
not. It’s a small world, after all.
5. Be Color Conscious
This next tip, also from Hill, is one that I’m sure most of us have
never thought about, but it’s something to be aware of nonetheless. “As
far as color goes I actually try to avoid any solid color dresses in
popular bridesmaid dress colors like coral, purple, navy, and gray for
fear that I’ll accidentally match the bridesmaids and then everyone will
ask if I’m
in the bridal party
when I’m not,” she says. “This one is a little overly paranoid, but I
really like prints and bizarre colors anyway so it doesn’t limit me too
much.” It could be hard to avoid matching the bridesmaids if you don’t
have intel on their dresses before the wedding, but Hill suggests that
“another way to avoid this is to add a belt or crop jacket to a dress so
that it doesn’t look bridesmaid-y if you’re not in the bridal party.”
6. Better To Be Over-Dressed Than Under
There’ll be plenty of opportunities to wear flip flops and cutoffs
this summer, but a wedding is not one of them. “If the invite wording
says the dress code is ‘casual,’ that still means absolutely no jeans,
shorts, or tank tops,” says Samantha Roberts, TheKnot.com’s assistant
editor. “Think a summer sundress or a pair of nice pants and blouse!”
7. Don’t Steal The Show
This next tip comes from Jamie Miles, TheKnot.com’s assistant
managing editor. She emphasizes some of the earlier points and reminds
us that there are going to be a ton of pictures taken during the night —
either by a professional photographer or via guests’ smartphones — so
it’s important to dress appropriately. Let the bride stand out
in her wedding photos.
“If you’re attending a black-tie wedding, it’s particularly important
to go long and whatever you do, don’t wear a super short, leggy cocktail
dress,” she says. “You don’t want to steal attention from the bride, or
show too much skin in the formal photos.”
8. Have Confidence In Yourself
It’s not your day, but that’s no reason not to be yourself. If you
try to stick to some of the guidelines above then you should be all set.
Hill offers one last piece of advice: “It’s really a balancing act of
being yourself and looking and feeling confident while not terribly
offending anyone.”
