Everyone loves to look great at a wedding. Although all eyes are usually on the beautiful bride and her dashing groom, that doesn’t stop us from wanting to look our best. I often hear women and men alike vowing that they’ll be dieting and exercising non-stop in order to look extra trim for wedding season. Maybe it’s the desire to shine at such a lavish event, or simply part of our own insecurities; nonetheless, everyone is out to impress.
I’ve been the bride before, but in terms of style and fashion, being an attendee is very different. As a bride, you’re coddled, pampered, and looked after to absolutely no end. As an attendee, you’re on your own and it’s all up to you to make a great impression. I’ve talked previously about wedding day preparations and skincare tips for the big day, but surprisingly never about the pitfalls of wedding fashion; there’s a first time for everything though!
Hair
The wedding hairstyle should be simplistic yet beautiful. I’ve always thought of it as a great opportunity to try out a more laid-back style that is well complimented, or compensated, by a high end outfit. Instead of experimenting with an up-do, let your locks down and own it.
The addition of hair accessories should also be encouraged, my favourite of which would be a flower in the hair to match the jubilancy of the occasion. A tiara might be a step too far, as you don’t want to give off an ‘all eyes on me vibe’, and if you do, you certainly don’t want to make it that obvious.
The Outfit
First and foremost, don’t dress too casually; overdressing is a lot more enjoyable in these situations then dressing down, so make the most of your opportunity to really go all out. This being said, you don’t want to upstage the bride or her bridal party so try not to go completely overboard. There’s 3 crucial targets to hit for the ultimate wedding guest look; sophisticated, satisfied, and sexy. To clarify the latter, sexy as in suggestive, so be careful with those plunging necklines and skimpy dresses.
Don’t worry about not achieving a particular size in time for wedding day, as there’s still plenty of opportunity to look great. Look into plus size designer dresses if you want to show your confidence in a quality dress that also suits your size.
Cosmetics
If you have bad skin like I did on my wedding day, you should be starting months in advance to get those beautiful skin-tones; read my skincare blog post for more information on this area of wedding preparation.
Much like hair, I believe simplicity is the best way to approach make-up on the wedding day. Use sparingly, especially with darker and heavier colours, experiment with lighter shades and find a level of make-up that suits you. Lips should be the only thing with darker colours, as a deep red lipstick can the finishing touch to a beautifully simplistic wedding look.
Shoes
You’re likely to spend much of the wedding day on your feet, whether it’s on the dancefloor or at the bar, so you’ll want something beautiful on your feet to show off, but also something comfortable to relieve when you can no longer walk. For the former, it has to be a set of sturdy heels, an elegant piece of footwear that compliments the rest of your outfit as well as your body posture; there’s really no better choice.
For the latter, bring a pair of flats such as ballet pumps or summer sandals which will provide some much needed relief from the strain of wearing high heels all night. I’m sure no-one will mind your wardrobe change.
Looking Good is Feeling Good
Ultimately, as long as you’re confident and comfortable in your look, you’ll turn heads. A wedding is a chance to show your jubilancy at the occasion, so show how happy you are through bright colours, accessories, and an overall style which matches the good vibes of a wedding day.
I can’t ever see me getting married, but you never know what’s round the corner, do you? You give some excellent advice though. =)
Thanks Louise, and thanks for reading! You really never know what life will bring.