Wedding Attire: Dressing appropriately as guests

Attending a wedding isn't just a big thing for the couple, for all the guests as well. Imagine showing up in your perfect cute evening gown and everyone else is wearing traditional costums because it's a traditional wedding. How awkward and awful would that be?

Showing up to a wedding with the wrong or inappropriate attire isn't just embarrassing, it's something that you will never forget. Well, lucky for you, we will discuss all the different scenarios in this article so you know when to dress right for the romantic occasion to celebrate love!

In the US, people have a different definition to what a traditional wedding is. For folks from the countryside in small towns, a traditional wedding probably means getting married in a barn and the bride will wear an oat white vintage wedding dress. While for the ethnic groups, a traditional wedding means getting married in their country-of-origin-style.

So, how you should know what wedding it would be? You ask! It's the easiest and fastest way to get an answer. And you won't get confused as well.

There're also other signs that you can tell if you should wear a traditional wedding attire. Let's say the couple getting married are Chinese Americans and their invitation is printed in the traditional Chinese style. That goes without saying that you should start looking up Asian Fusion traditional wedding attire to not show up as the only alien in the room!

Look for the style of the invitation and when the wedding is held as well. A typical traditional wedding is usually held on a Saturday morning, when everyone is free from work, ready to enjoy a lovely day. But of course, what is traditional for you differs from what is traditional for other people. If you don't want to show up looking like an idiot, my best advice for you would be to ask clearly what the bride and groom want.

Surely a lot of people have asked themselves, what is a semi-formal event and what should I wear? Semi formal events can be confusing because you probably don't even know what a semi-formal event is. Basically a semi formal attire is something that is fancier than what you would wear to a date but not super serious like a full-suit deal.

A lot of weddings are actually semi formal. You don't have to suit up to go but you should still be dressier than usual. You can wear a chiffon or silky dress with sandals or heels as you like.

What time during the day the wedding is held will also give you hints to whether or not this is a semi fomal wedding. Typically a wedding that's held at the evening (after 5 to 6pm) is less formal than weddings held during the day. It's more like a semi formal gathering with friends and family to enjoy a good time.

Look out for the theme of the wedding as well. If it's held in a conventional venure like a church, it's more likely that it's formal than informal. If the wedding is held outdoor, on a prarie or on a cliff, it's more likely that it will be casual. The time and venue can give you a lot of hints to how formal the ceremony is and give you hints on how to dress!

What is a black tie wedding attire? If you received an invitation to one and you are confused, don't worry. Here're all the tips you need. If you are going to a black tie wedding, just be prepared. It's going to be fancy, grand and serious. Rule number one, dress as classy as you can and don't show up in sandals under any circumstances.

Men will always wear a tuxedo with a black tie while girls will usually wear a long formal gown to respect the venue. Traditionally speaking, a black tie wedding is alway thrown at the evening and not during the day because it's deemed to be the most formal of all (other than a white tie wedding, which you really wouldn't see).

There're also other signs to tell whether or not this is a black tie wedding. Most likely, high profile celebrities, politicians, or businessmen would throw a black tie wedding to maintain their fancy image. So if the bride or the groom fits one of the profile, this is most likely a black tie wedding.

Second, we can again take a look at the venue, if it's held in the biggest or oldest church in town or in a 5-star hotel, it's also likely that it's a black tie wedding. Also see if it's a big wedding, usually the bigger the wedding, the more formal it is, because you must be quite influencial in some field to get that many people to come to your wedding, and considering the money you have to spend, you must be high-profile, hence, a formal wedding is your go-to.

There're many signs you can tell whether it's a black tie wedding and it's important to not show up in your sandals for this super formal event!

Probably most people's favourite type of weddings. It's easy and doesn't need much effort! Very often, a casual wedding is held during the day, and is an outdoor venue. If your invitation says the wedding will be held by the lake or in the forest during daytime, it's very likely that it's a casual wedding.

Casual weddings have grown popularity in recent years, especially among young couples that don't feel the need to throw so much money to host a one-time event. If the couple is in their 20s, it's quite likely that they will throw a casual wedding.

The complexity of the wedding also says a lot about how formal it is. If there's only a simple reception, a lunch buffet or easy gift registry, it's very likely that this is a casual wedding and you should show up in your casual wedding attire and not in your tuxedo.

Finally, the size of the wedding can give you a big hint. Casual wedding are almost only thrown in small sizes, meaning if there're over 150 people going to the wedding, it's probably not a casual wedding. Casual weddings are loved because of its simplicity and its small sizes, only a small group of people are invited. That's why you're one of the few going to this wedding, don't worry too much, it's safe to say that it's a casual wedding with just family and close friends.

Going to the beach and enjoying the sun while attending a wedding is probably one of the warmest feeling ever. If you're invited to one, fantastic! Don't worry too much about what to wear to a beach wedding because you basically should wear whatever you usually wear to a beach.

A long maxi floral dress is many people's go-to because it's beautiful and the floral patterns always suits a beach wedding. Over 80% of people will wear dresses with floral patterns to a beach wedding because nothing really says happiness and summer more!

Sandals are also always your first choice to wear to a beach wedding! I know flip-flops are comfortable on a beach, but still, just because it's nice and casual, doesn't you should show up to a wedding in your flip-flops. Get a pair of nice summer sandals and combine it with your maxi dress, you're ready for a beach wedding! 

Hosting a wedding is difficult for the couple because there are just so much you didn't even know that you don't know about hosting a wedding. But the preparation doesn't stop with them, as a guest, you also have the responsibility to dress appropriately to show your respect and honor the event. Not doing your research and show up in the wrong attire is highly impolite to the host and other guests attending the event, in the worst case, it might even end your friendship with the one invited you because you weren't considerate towards your identity at the event.

Not all invitations state clearly the dress code so sometimes you just have to make a guess. It may not always be easy but there're always signs that you can tell, such as the time and venue and the size of the wedding etc. With all the tips we've covered in this article, surely you shouldn't show up to your next wedding wearing the wrong attire!