What to Wear to a Wedding in 2023
It’s wedding season! Time to bust out your best cocktail attire and eat free food! Now that the pandemic is (mostly) over, aggressive wedding season continues! If you are attending 1 billion weddings this summer, here’s an injection of some fresh fashion inspo.
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What to Wear to a Barn Wedding
Though the Internet loves to cringe at the mason-jar-burlap wedding aesthetic, barn weddings are only gaining strength. Sometimes you might be in an elegant, clean venue in the Hudson Valley, and sometimes…you may be sitting on hay bales. Any outdoor wedding poses outfit risks, so keep your barn wedding attire cotton (washable) and pairable with cowboy boots. Bonus points for classic calico prints.
Green Dress (Jessa Kae)
Orange Dress (Asos)
Yellow Floral Dress (Christy Dawn)
Blue and White Toile Dress (Abercrombie)
Black Floral Dress (Abercrombie)
What to Wear to a Garden Wedding
Thanks to shows like Bridgerton, the hyper-feminine floral pastel aesthetic is squarely of-the-moment! Luckily that makes finding a dress for a garden wedding quite easy. Lilac is the color of the moment, but if it doesn’t suit your skin, a verdant green is a safe choice. Puffy sleeves are currently having a moment, but a nice flutter sleeve has a similar effect if you’re a little more low-key.
Pink Floral Mini Dress (Abercrombie)
Lilac Midi Dress (Free People)
Mint Puff Sleeve Dress (Asos)
Lavender Floral Embroidered Dress (Jessa Kae)
Blue Print Shift Dress (Anthropologie)
What to Wear to a Glam Wedding
The idea of black tie weddings makes some people break out in hives, but it’s actually quite simple if you keep a few factors in mind! I like to think of them as the 3 S’s of fancy clothes.
Sparkles - sequins, rhinestones, and paillettes (in moderation) can elevate a plain dress.
Satin - while most satin is no longer silk, this shiny, slippery fabric always screams “elegance”
Structure - if your tastes trend towards the plain, an obviously structured garment that fits you well will always serve your need for class.
Teal Ruffle Dress (Anthropologie)
Navy Satin Dress (Abercrombie)
Blue Embroidered Dress (Asos)
Lavender Sequin Dress (Asos)
Satin Print Slip Dress (Free People)
What to Wear to a Beach Wedding
Much like the aforementioned barn wedding, beach weddings pose significant logistical challenges. Sand, sunburn, and salt must be taken into consideration. Flowier silhouettes will help with the sand - they’re easier to shake out and don’t require shapewear. A tasteful linen or cotton fabric will stay up with you all night (and pack easily in a suitcase).
Magenta Cutout Dress (Anthropologie)
Yellow Wrap Dress (Christy Dawn)
Blue Maxi Dress (Free People)
Orchid Tiered Dress (Abercrombie)
Yellow Print One Sleeve Dress (Anthropologie)
What to Wear to a Classic Wedding
What if the wedding doesn’t fit into any of these categories? What if it is your standard chicken-at-a-country-club-affair? Never fear - this is actually the easiest wedding to shop for! Dresses in classic silhouettes can get a lot of mileage in this and wedding seasons to come.
Blue Floral Mini Puff Sleeve Dress (Free People)
Orange Floral Tank Dress (Free People)
Coral Floral Maxi Dress (Anthropologie)
Pink and Orange Flare Dress (Anthropologie)
Green Satin Puff Sleeve Dress (Abercrombie)
The important thing to remember when dressing for a wedding: be comfortable! Think about the venue and the circumstances. If you can dance the night away in style, that’s the dress you should pick. There’s nothing wrong with outfit repeats too - trust me, Sarah B. and Sarah K. will not be comparing guest’s outfits. 😉
