Dress Codes

A wedding invitation arrived at our house recently. We don't get many of these anymore, so I was pretty excited. Then I read the dress code: "island casual." What on earth does that mean? Ambiguous dress codes make me sort of crazy.

So I appreciated Diana, of Fashion for Real Women, who wrote about wedding dress codes in a recent blog. She also mentions things to consider when dressing for an event, such as weather and location.

By the way, I learned the wedding is taking place on the beach. I have decided to wear a floral print dress and some sandals I can take on an off easily. And I'll wear a flower in my hair. It should be a fun time!

A Wedding

There were so many things I loved about the wedding my husband and I just attended. (I did not love discovering a hole in my dress, however, right before we were leaving. But that will be a different blog post.) The guests were put at ease by the couple's obvious joy and contentment.

Of course I noticed the uniquely dressed bridesmaids and groomsmen immediately. I loved how each woman wore a distinctive dress, while keeping with the wedding colors of navy and teal with golden and hot pink accents. Each bridesmaid looked lovely in a dress that suited her style and figure.

The bride wore a beautiful, vintage, simple raw silk dress in a muted blush tone. I loved how her feet were encased in bright teal suede pumps. Since the wedding, I learned that the dress was her mother's, last worn in 1961! She did make some alterations, such as shortening the dress and sleeve lengths. Another change was adding a sash to elongate the torso. During her parent's 50th anniversary year, the bride had made the dress her own.

The groom wore a dashing dark gray suit with a smart paisley tie. The groomsmen also wore suits of varying color and styles; what tied their look together was that they all wore pink shirts. The entire wedding party looked elegant and self-assured in their clothing.

If you are getting married, remember that it is your day. Your bridesmaids do not have to wear matching dresses that do their figure no favors; your groomsmen don't need to wear stiff tuxedos. And you can wear a dress you love, a dress that expresses your personality.