Dress for an Evening Wedding Reception
An evening wedding reception suggests the need for more glamor than a daytime one. Here are some suggestions for what to wear.
Steps
- Consider whether it's worth changing before you get to the wedding reception or whether you'd rather stay in the clothes you wore for the ceremony itself. If you want to wear day clothes and then spruce up, and you have the chance to get changed between the ceremony and reception, take along the spare change of clothes in your car or pop back home to change and then turn up in different clothes for the reception.
- Choose evening wear for an evening reception where you can. Most evening receptions are elegant and refined and evening wear is the most suitable attire for these events. However, be sure to check what the invitation says in case it has made the dress type clear. Always confirm with the bride what she wants!
- If you cannot change between the time of the ceremony and the reception, find ways to transition what you're wearing to the ceremony into evening wear for the reception. For example, wear an elegant casual outfit that can cross between day and night. Many office outfits can do this already just by being elegant and of a shade that suits both day and night. Other ways to improve the look of a day outfit for the night include:
- Add a shawl or pashmina to brighten up your dress.
- A fancy jacket can help upgrade a plain dress.
- Add more jewelry.
- Add a new belt or other accessories to brighten up the day clothes.
- Add hair accessories, especially jeweled ones.
- Wear evening clothes to the ceremony. While you may feel a little self-conscious, it can be hard to over-dress for a wedding and few people will be taken aback unless the wedding is extremely casual. Just avoid wearing very long, elegant evening gowns though and definitely don't upstage the bride!
Tips
- Don't overdress. Although the wedding reception is in the evening, it's not your usual evening do.
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