As well as starting to plan my own nuptials, I have four wedding ceremonies to attend this year. Four. My search for the best wedding guest dresses has pretty much taken over my life, but I’m keen to shop smart and buy frocks that I know I’ll re-wear for future celebrations.
You want to feel your very best as a guest on their big day, so it’s normal to feel a little overwhelmed by a wedding dress code. Is it too short? Is it versatile enough for you to want to wear it again? Is it too bold? Luckily, there is very little in the way of a wedding guest dress rule book (other than no white, obvs).
What type of dress is best for a wedding guest? Our top tips are; don’t outshine the bride or bridesmaids and try not to opt for something you’d wear on a night out (i.e. anything too revealing) – grandparents will be present, remember. Consider the season (there’s nothing worse than donning a long-sleeve wedding guest dress in the summer), and don’t stray too far from your budget. There are plenty of affordable wedding guest dresses on the high street that look endlessly more expensive than they actually are, and remember you should always shop your own wardrobe first. Don’t stress about how you’ll afford a wedding guest outfit on top of a wedding gift and hen party look when you probably already own exactly what you’re looking for. That said, here’s some inspo if you really can’t find a thing:
How we chose the best wedding guest dresses in this edit
Combining our expert knowledge on fashion – including which brands are worth spending your money on and what trends are living up to the hype – with customer reviews and data on what you’ve been searching for, we’ve curated what we feel is a selection of the best wedding guest dresses on the market. We’ve rifled through the good and the bad so you don’t have to, and have paid particular attention to specifics like cost, fabrics, sustainability and wearability in order to narrow it down. Our aim is to find you pieces which will last, and, as a team of 30+ here at GLAMOUR HQ, we’ve tried our fair share of wedding guest dresses to know which brands are worth shouting about.