Summer weddings formal and informal

The excitement is building for the royal wedding this Saturday 19th. I can’t wait to see what the bride will be wearing, however, what I find equally interesting is what the guests will be wearing. I thought it would be a good opportunity to check out what is available for the discerning wedding guest to choose for a formal church wedding. My guess is that many of those attending the ceremony at St. George’s Chapel Windsor this Saturday will be conservatively attired in a knee-length dress and jacket or dress and coat, at least the older guests. Maybe the younger generation will be more adventurous. We shall see. Hats may possibly be more flamboyant than the one I have chosen.

The dress, coat, shoes, bag and sunglasses are all from LKBennett. It is an excellent shop for well-tailored formal attire. The individual pieces can be worn with other items in your wardrobe after the event. I wore a similar coat in pink as the mother of the groom a few years ago and I have since worn it several times with either navy or cream trousers. The grey straw hat is by Whiteley hats.

What to wear to a wedding is always a conundrum. Rules have become more and more relaxed over the years and nowadays just about anything goes. My advice would be to check out the venue. This could be just about anywhere, a hotel, a beach, a registry office or marquee in the garden. If it is a garden party affair I would go more casual and definitely wear low or flat shoes. Stick to styles that suit you and that you feel comfortable in. There is no need to wear clothes that you do not feel “are you”. If it is a UK wedding take a scarf or pashmina to wrap around your shoulders, it can get chilly in the evenings.

Above: Straw hat // cream chiffon trousers // cream chiffon top // coral pink print silk shrug // Straw bag // Strappy sandals // necklace.

OTHER OPTIONS:

Chicatanyage

I write a fashion and beauty blog for women over 50 with the aim of inspiring mature women to continue to enjoy and have fun with their fashion choices. I have spent most of my working life in some way connected to fashion. I started my career in Fashion PR and then trained as an Image Consultant when my children were young. I subsequently worked in the corporate world running seminars, doing private coaching and speaking at conferences. I started my blog in 2009 as I wanted to share my years of experience working in the world of fashion. I truly believe we can continue to have confidence in the way we present ourselves. Our style may evolve with time and changing lifestyles, yet with a little knowledge and inspiration, we can all continue to have fun with fashion. As women of a certain age we are a growing demographic let us prove that we can also be a chic one.

Next Formal wear - Suited and booted »

Previous « The best white T-shirts

View Comments

Brenda Chell says:

14th May 2018 at 16:05

Thank you Josephine for dressing up, being photographed and then suggesting where we might buy similar. Obviously you love it but we know there is a lot of work involved. Please keep your blog going. I, and many others, so look forward to it. You are an absolute delight.
- Chicatanyage says:
  
  14th May 2018 at 17:48
  
  HI Brenda
  Thank you so much for your kind words. I really do appreciate them. You are correct it is very hard work and the greatest reward is knowing that my readers enjoy what I write and are able to get some inspiration from my posts. It makes it all worthwhile.
LA CONTESSALA CONTESSA says:

14th May 2018 at 16:17

I am the MOTHER of the GROOM come JUNE!
The theme was casual LUAU..........that has changed Now to more FORMAL.
STAY TUNED on that Theme as I purchased my LUAU theme already!
I cannot wait for SATURDAY at 5 AM........Thats when we need to be up and GLUED to THE TV!!!!!!!!!
ALL SO EXCITING!!!!!
VERY HAPPY FOR THEM.............XX
Lynda Banister says:

14th May 2018 at 17:15

Like you I'm very keen to see what the guests are wearing on Saturday. I suspect the bride will play safe but let's hope that there will be some really interesting outfits to pore over. These events are the only time I buy Hello magazine.
Lesley Pearce says:

15th May 2018 at 15:10

Thank you Josephine I now know that the outfit I have bought for my sons Wedding this Friday is fine, as it is a Spanish designer Sonia Pena purchased quote near where I live.
- Chicatanyage says:
  
  15th May 2018 at 15:23
  
  Best wishes I hope the wedding goes well.
Caroline Braithwaite says:

30th June 2019 at 18:16

Hi Josephine. I’ve just found your blog which had already given me some great style ideas. I’ll be attending a French chateau wedding soon and wondered what would be suitable attire...
Chicatanyage says:

1st July 2019 at 18:06

Thank you for your comment.

With regards to your question you could take a look at some of the French weddings I have covered over the years https://www.chicatanyage.com/?s=French+weddings. If the link does not work go to the bottom of my blog and type in “French weddings” in the search box. What I noticed was that french weddings, at least in our village are quite casual. The french women do not dress as formally as the British.

I have not done a wedding outfit post this year as dress codes have become much more casual and varied depending on the venue. My best advice would be if possible to ask the organiser usually mother of the bride if the wedding is formal and if is there a dress code. It may also depend on the time of day and if there is an evening party. There are lots of midi and maxi dresses this year and they might be a good place to start.