Prep for the Last Bash of the Season: What to Wear to a Wedding

I was so excited to celebrate my fellow image consultant, Glenda Jean Soriano’s wedding this summer at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. She was an exceptionally beautiful bride, and put together one hell of a wedding. It was sophisticated, playful and, of course, so romantic. Even the food was incredible (sometimes hard to come by at a wedding)! In honor of this very special occasion and the last weddings of summer, here's my:

TOP 5 TO DO’S FOR THE BIG BASH:

1. Actually wear comfortable heels. I feel like this is something I always say to myself, but often times I pick something that I think will “wow.” I ultimately suffer. Spare yourself the agony and find something in between. For Saturday night, I picked a gold bootie from Steven by Steve Madden. It was won-der-ful!!! I was able to dance and keep my heels on, which is always convenient, when you have a 6’1” boyfriend to measure up to and pull around the floor.

My issue with heels tends to be that they are too narrow, not too high. If you prefer a shorter heel, go with a kitten heel with a pointed toe. A pointed toe will extend the leg, therefore, making you look taller and slimmer.

If you can stand high heels, I love Pour La Victoire. Their heels are wider than most, and they have an incredible variety of go-to pumps and closet classics that can go with anything from jeans to wedding cocktail attire to a business suit. 

2. Don’t forget your hankie! I’m a big crier at weddings, so I never leave home without one. My mother has a collection of vintage handkerchiefs, so she always taught me that it’s not only an essential part of your big bag of tricks aka your purse, but it’s a fun way to express your style. Like all parts of our wardrobe, they are a small detail that adds to a much bigger picture and makes a sophisticated, elegant, romantic statement.

3. Dress to the season that the wedding is taking place in. The bride and groom chose this time of the year for a reason, so it’s important to embrace their vision by embracing the season. Although it’s no longer necessary to do this in fashion (white is okay after labor day!), there is a good chance that a Fall wedding will include autumnal colors and a spring wedding will include spring brights or pastels.  When I think about dressing for a wedding, I think about the personality of the bride and being part of her larger vision. We all know we have an ideal color palette for ourselves, so it’s not necessary to step completely out of your comfort zone, but tailor a detail or two (cocktail ring, shoes, scarf…) to the particular wedding you’re attending. If you’re not sure what to expect, the invitation is a good indication what’s to come.

4. Prepare your entire look the night before the occasion. How many times have you said you’re going to do this, then 45 minutes before the wedding you’re steaming your dress? Well do it this time! A wedding is an occasion to celebrate, relax and, of course, party. When you’re ill-prepared and poorly put together, you don’t have as much fun as you would or feel as confident about your personal image. Personal image is representative of how we feel about ourselves and it’s important to always remember that. Taking care of each detail means you care. To take care of each detail, advanced preparation is necessary.

If you want to wear your hair down, think about if your usual product will work for the weather at the wedding. Will it be humid? If so, it’s best to take the time to blow dry sections of your hair rather than the whole mop. This way, it’s less likely to frizz.

If you want to wear your hair up, blow-drying is still incredibly important to create the perfect texture. Don’t use just any old rubber band or clip, either camouflage or accentuate a beautiful hair accessory.

For makeup, choose to accentuate lips or eyes, not both. Unless your make-up is subtle and classic all over, accentuating both eye and lip color will distract people and take away positive attention.  If you choose to do a dramatic eye or lip, make sure both the accentuated and subtle part of the look are meticulously executed.

5. Wear something that works for you, looks great, but isn’t your statement dress — or as Beyonce would call it, your ‘Freakum Dress’. It looks tacky to try to bring too much attention to yourself when it’s the bride’s day.

­To avoid doing this, use primarily simpler patterns and one or two colors, or form-flattering (not fitting) clothing. There are many different messages that colors can send, but when you choose just one or two colors, people don’t feel ambushed by it. Rather, it appears pleasant and gracious at a wedding. You can wear red (along with every other color except white of course) to weddings, but if you choose red along with every other color, the dress cannot be body-conscious. It’s important to always dress to your body type, but there’s a clear difference between flattering your body type and wearing your clothes as a second skin. If you have to suck in, to zip it up, don’t wear it. If you have to routinely check if any body part is popping out, don’t wear it. And remember! Weddings are for eating, drinking, and being merry, so if it’s not comfortable before those crab cakes, it’s certainly not going to be comfortable after.

Now, I would love to hear from you! Comment below to tell me how you like to spruce up your look for a wedding!