The Wedding Attire Etiquette
Quick Guide for Brides

Is your wedding dress appropriate for the venue?

A lace dress with lots of pearls and rhinestones will be out of place at a beach or garden wedding, just as a long cream dress with no slip, charming flowers embroidered on it and a wreath of flowers and no veil will look out of place at a cathedral or sleek hotel.

Are you having the reception at a beautiful home with little room to move between tables?

Don’t be the bride that opts for the big princess wedding dress with layers of petticoats – it will just wreak havoc wherever you go during your reception.

Are you intent on dancing the night away? Make sure the hem of your wedding gown isn’t too long and that the train bustles.

Remember Michelle Obama’s inauguration night dress? It was lovely, but she couldn’t dance in it.

Recommended: Learn how bride Lisa Spooner saved over $20,000 on her wedding

Formal wedding attire etiquette for the bride – Evening:

Your wedding dress style is long, cathedral length train and the veil floor length or longer, and have some detail work on it like embroidery, intricate lace, heavy beading/sparkles.

A ball gown style is an appropriate choice. Unless you have a long sleeved dress, you will wear long gloves.

Formal wedding attire etiquette for the bride -- Daytime:

Back off on the heavy sparkles and beads on your dress, it looks out of place for a day wedding.

Semi-formal and informal wedding attire etiquette:

Chapel or sweep train, shorter veils, and restrained sparkles, or none at all.

Casual wedding gowns, colored wedding dresses, slip dresses, halter dresses, short dresses, a-line and sheath styles, a chic suit, are all appropriate wedding attire for less formal weddings (remember, informal is still elegant). No gloves.

Budget warning for the bride:

Searching for the wedding dress is fun, but too many brides run out and buy the dress first.

Don’t do it! Restrain yourself until you and your fiancé have made some big decisions about your wedding style, theme, venue, season and time of day.

Do not let a dress purchased too soon dictate your entire wedding day!

Having said that... ultimately, there are no longer any hard and fast rules for wedding attire etiquette.

Do you really want to wear your mother's beaded dress to your afternoon event? Do it.

You and your fiancé should determine what is appropriate wedding attire for you, your lifestyle, your guests and your budget.

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