If you haven’t been to many weddings, or you’re used to a more traditional and formal wedding vibe, it can be hard to decide what to wear to a casual wedding. As a wedding guest, you want to honor the couple by wearing something nice, but you don’t want to over-dress and feel out of place in a casual atmosphere.
In a way, casual weddings are a bigger challenge than formal affairs, since you’ll need to carefully balance comfort and practicality with style. To avoid feeling like you’ve just thrown together an outfit before heading to the wedding, we’ve created this simple guide to casual wedding guest dresses and attire, which includes some dos, do nots, and of course, inspiration for your casual wedding look.
What Does “Casual Dress” Actually Mean?
Casual dress for a wedding isn’t the same as casual dress at home; this is not a time for your cozy sweats, as much as we might wish it was!
Casual weddings call for comfortable, easy-to-move/dance-in, appropriate for the weather clothing that still feels a little nicer than your everyday look. If this sounds sort of vague, that’s because it is, which is what makes it so challenging to dress for a casual wedding.
Most important is to consider factors like season, venue, and of course the personality of the couple, all of which we’ll cover a little more below. You can also take queues from the wedding invite to get an idea of what the vibe will be. If the invitation is purely digital, and the couple says it will be a small affair in a backyard, you will probably be safe in fairly casual attire. If you received a physical invitation and the couple has booked a venue, you may want to dress up slightly more.
What NOT To Wear
You already know the basics of what not to wear to a wedding: don’t wear white, don’t try to out-dress the bride, don’t try to match the wedding party. But what should you not wear to a casual wedding?
- Stilettos or Sky-High Heels: Many casual weddings are held outside, which means you’re probably going to need to walk on grass or gravel. Extra-high heels just won’t be comfortable and could have you sinking into the ground, twisting an ankle, and trying to walk on your toes all night long. In general, avoid anything with a slim or pointy heel, and choose something easier to walk and dance in.
- Sneakers: While you don’t want to choose a red-carpet-worthy heel, you also don’t want to dress too casually by wearing a pair of sneakers. Unless the invitation specifically calls for them, leave your sneakers at home. There are plenty of other flat shoe options like mules, flat sandals, or even a cute pair of Western boots!
- Jeans: Jeans just aren’t wedding appropriate, again unless the invitation specifically requests you wear denim. While you might be able to get away with wearing a pair of black jeans, it’s better to go with a jumpsuit or a pair of dress pants if you prefer pants over a skirt.
- T-Shirts and Tank Tops: Like jeans, a simple tee or tank top isn’t really appropriate, even for a casual wedding. Instead, you’ll want to wear a dressy top like a nice blouse, or a chic sweater if the weather permits.
Tips for Styling a Casual Wedding Guest Outfit
Now that you know what you shouldn’t wear to a casual wedding, let’s talk about a few ways to style yourself for surefire fashion success.
Dress for the Season
Since many casual weddings are outdoors, it’s important to be prepared for the weather. If it’s hot, you want to wear something light and breezy, but not something too revealing. A cute sundress is a great option for a casual spring or summer wedding, and if you’re concerned about getting chilly when the sun goes down, you can always bring a cardigan along as an extra layer. Similarly, if you’re attending a fall wedding, you’ll definitely want to choose a long-sleeved dress made from thicker material.
Dress for the Venue
What you wear to a barbeque wedding in the park will be very different than what you wear to a casual wedding at a lake house, or a garden, or someone’s home. Casual wedding attire needs to suit the venue, especially since it will be pretty obvious if you have missed the memo.
Your shoes are especially important, since you don’t want to be the only person at a ranch wearing sandals, or the only person at a beach wearing heels.
Choose a Shoe with a Wide Base
No matter what kind of shoe you want to wear, choose something with a wide base. Flats, platforms, and wedges are all reliable options, since they give you plenty of support, and won’t sink into soft ground. If you’re on sand, stick to flats and platforms, since wedges can still make your ankles feel a little unsteady.
Go For Floral
Floral dresses are almost always appropriate for a casual wedding, since florals can help make a casual dress a little more celebratory without feeling too dressy. Florals are so closely connected to celebrations and weddings that you really can’t go wrong, so when in doubt, floral it out!
We want to see your casual wedding guest outfits! Show us how on InstagramorTikTok @lulus using #lovelulus and head to our Wedding Guest Shop to score dresses for every dress code!
