'Formal' wedding - what does that mean to you?

I'm having a bit of a fashion dilemma.

I am attending two weddings in the next two months. One is next weekend and the couple are good friends of ours, I know lots of people that are going and think it will be a pretty relaxed kind of wedding. I am wearing a nice frock and getting some peep toes on the weekend :)

The second wedding however is starting to stress me out. The couple are friends of DH through work and I have met them a few times. I know the groom quite well but I've only met the bride once or twice. They are a young italian couple and the invitation says the dress code is 'formal'. You can tell just by looking at the invitation that it's going to be a glam wedding iykwim? They would have cost a bomb.

I have no idea how 'formal' I need to be. I don't know anyone else that is going so I can't even get some sort of an idea that way.

What would you be wearing?

The dress I am wearing to the first wedding is a nice dress, it's black and white, with a kinda chiffony overlay. It's a nice dress and I've worn it to weddings before but I'm not sure if it will cut it for a formal wedding :dunno:

Help!!

EEK, I hate dilemmas like this! Is your dress long? I think formal is usually full length? Have you got a nice jacket you can wear over your dress to make it look more formal? I can't imagine a black and white dress would be inappropriate :dunno:. I'm so out of the loop these days LOL!

I remember one of DH's executive ball Christmas parties had a ****tail dress code. I tossed up whether to buy a dress with colour or not. I ended up choosing a black, ****tail length dress and was SO glad I did when we arrived! Everyone was wearing black except one woman. I hate standing out in a crowd so I said a quiet "phew!" to DH LOL!

I am no help at all haha! Hopefully someone much wiser can help you :lol:.

Formal to me is a nice dress/heels, not 100% ****tail wear but close too. and suit/tie for the male

Trish - My dress is long-ish, probably mid calf? I never do anything shorter than that cause I have reeeeally bad legs :lol:

That's what I'm worried about - I don't want to turn up in a full length bl**dy ball gown and be totally over dressed! I'll be socially challenged enough as it is going to a wedding where I don't know anyone :redface:

Beatrix - I wish I was a man...how easy is a suite and tie?!

Ooh, just Googled and found this:

:

---

* Formal Daytime: Short dress or suit. Hats and gloves optional.
* Formal Evening or Black-Tie: Long or dressy short ****tail (beading, glam accessories, wrap)

---

Wish I could lend you my ****tail dress LOL!

OK, if that's the case, I could probably wear the same dress to both weddings.

I'm going to buy some new heels and clutch and I have a black wrap I could wear.

To be honest, I'd rather be a bit underdressed and blend than be over dressed and stand out.

Sounds perfect :)

:

---

To be honest, I'd rather be a bit underdressed and blend than be over dressed and stand out.

---

Me too!

Wear the same dress and the spend the money saved on having your hair and nails done. The black wrap will glam it up perfectly :)

Heather - My hair is a whole seperate dilemma! LOL. I am growing a full fringe out atm and I have no idea what I'm going to do with it so that it looks half decent. Usually I just pin it back. I'm going to talk to my hairdresser about it next weekend when I go in for a colour.

I am an over-dresser! Always! But I like to look fabulous, all the time. I feel comfortable when I look great, and if you feel comfortable, it doesn't matter if you're over or under dressed.

To me, formal wedding, Italian family is pretty formal. Chiffon is a nice fabric that handles formal well, so I say go for it. If you don't feel formal enough, go to town on your hair and makeup and dress it right up. It'll be great.

I would wear a an aqua printed satin maxi dress, with low brown heels, a gold glo-mesh clutch and beautiful bronzey make-up. I have worn it before and it's a show-stopper. Sigh. Since there are no weddings in my life in the next month, it will hang, glorious but idle in my wardrobe until year's end :(

Have fun. Hope you look fab!

:

---

I would wear a an aqua printed satin maxi dress, with low brown heels, a gold glo-mesh clutch

---

Wow, that actually sounds very 'me'! But unfortunately, I am a bit of an introvert, tend to be a bit self conscious especially when I won't know a single person at this wedding.

Where did you get the dress??

I didn't know if a maxi dress would be classified as formal?

:

---

OK, if that's the case, I could probably wear the same dress to both weddings.

I'm going to buy some new heels and clutch and I have a black wrap I could wear.

To be honest, I'd rather be a bit underdressed and blend than be over dressed and stand out.

---

Trust me it's better to be **over dressed** than under dressed especially at a Wedding, and especially at an Italian Wedding ;)

wear what you mentioned - your dress sound lovely, with new heels & nice clutch, definitely a wrap or nice coat ... and some really nice jewellery :D

... and if you ever at any point feel over dressed you can always strip the jewellery off and pop them into your clutch bag :think:

(another tip, try not to show any bra straps !!)

:

---

Where did you get the dress??

---

I made it :D It is the kind that would be classed as formal - some wouldn't. I guess it depends on the fabric. Because it's satin, it's definitely an evening dress. Although I have another cheap satin one that is easily dressed down to day time, and up to evening.

This is the dress I'm talking about. I'm size 12-14, check it out and if you think you'd fit it, happy to lend. I certainly won't get to wear it :shakehead: and would love to see someone feel fabulous in it.

ETA: I'm the one on the left. If you couldn't tell.

Thanks smiles - you're really into this fashion and beauty stuff huh? I've seen you post lots in this section! LOL. I appreciate your advice, you seem like you know what you're talking about!

You know what I realllly want to wear - panty hose/stockings with seams down the back. Is that bad? I've always wanted to wear them and the style and print of my dress is a bit vintage so I think it could work...what do you think?

Only problem is I've found a nice pair of satin peep toe heels with ruffles on the toe. I know you can get toe less stockings now but I think I'd be pushing my luck to get toe less with seams.

Maybe I should go for closed in heels??

I'm getting a headache :(

Audax - Wow, that is so generous of you :hug: It would probably fit but I can't see the pic. Probably cause I'm not a friend on FB.

I think that with a nice dress, formal can be all in the accessories :)

Your dress sounds great! With a nice pair of heels, and some bling - and maybe a hair-dresser do - you'll look fab :)

aww thanks Willow, that means heaps to me ... hey you can thank my Mum for that she was a bit a glam platinum blonde bomb shell in the late 1950's into the 1960's ... although i'm far from glam like she was ;)

If your talking vintage 50's ... yep wear them seamed pantihose & just wear closed in heels with them :thumbsup:

(my Mum said they were so poor during the 50's she & her friends would pencil a dark line up the back of their legs to look like they had those seamed stockings on, and as she said " The boys at the dance didn't know any different ", LOL ... makes ya feel lucky we can afford some luxuries such as that in our days :D)

:

---

(my Mum said they were so poor during the 50's she & her friends would pencil a dark line up the back of their legs to look like they had those seamed stockings on, and as she said " The boys at the dance didn't know any different ", LOL ... makes ya feel lucky we can afford some luxuries such as that in our days )

---

My grandmother has told me the same thing! And that during the war they used tea bags to stain their legs so it looked like they had stockings on :o

Ooh, I love big Italian weddings! Definitely glam it up babe :) Daytime, go for a shorter ****tail dress, if it's an evening do, go full-length (or at least mid-calf).
I love Grace & Hart dresses for more formal stuff with a cute party edge, google them and check out their stuff, they do a lot of cute, short dresses but also a few longer and full-length things, at the very least it might give you some ideas if you decide the dress you have isn't going to cut it :) Chiffon does go pretty well for formal events though so sounds like you might be on a winner! I'm a big fan of taking a, well, not really 'plain', but ykwim, dress and going OTT with hair, accessories and shoes, kwim?

Good luck hun, I hope you have a great time at both dos, and my congratulations to the happy couples! :D

If they are really traditional, usually you would wear a different outfit to the church to the reception, like a tailored suit to the church then glam it up for the reception.....

:

---

If they are really traditional, usually you would wear a different outfit to the church to the reception, like a tailored suit to the church then glam it up for the reception.....

---

Well let's hope they're not really traditional then. It will be a tricky enough day for me breastfeeding my 8mo without having to fit a wardrobe change in there somewhere! :lol:

hehe re the b/f and suit change.

I've worn a long black slip with a red lace dress overlay to a formal wedding, but with wicked formal hair.

My tip is, if you're not too sure on formal makeup, then go to Myers / DJs etc, if you buy makeup from places then they'll do your makeup for free.