May 1, 2012

Today's Everyday Fashion: The Wedding Reception

The style question I hear the most is "what should I wear to a wedding?" My response is to think about the climate and the venue, because no two weddings are the same, and those can be your best clues as to what's appropriate! This Sunday I attended Ashley's wedding reception. They were married earlier this month up north, and held a casual outdoor BBQ for friends and family to celebrate. I would usually consider a sundress to be too casual for a wedding, but for this reception it was perfect. Above I'm showing you how I would wear it to church or another indoor event, below is how I was planning to wear it, and below that is how I actually wore it (I was exhausted, so I went for flats). I also wanted to show you how adorable Ashley looked in her lace dress and cowboy boots! How do you determine what's appropriate to wear to a wedding?

ps. I originally shared this dress in my shopping post here. I claimed that it reached my knees and I must've been out of my mind because it most definitely does not. It's certainly longer than most F21 dresses (esp. for being a size S) but it's nowhere near my knees. Sorry for being scatter-brained! ;-) 

Dress: Forever 21, $22
Belt: Banana Republic, $30 
Cardigan: H&M, $18 (similar)
Pumps above: Bandolino/TJ Maxx, $22 (similar)
Clutch above: c/o LOFT, $28 (similar)
Wedges below: Guess/DSW, $30 (similar)
Purse below: Calvin Klein/TJ Maxx, $120
Necklace: My Stella & Dot website, $79
Rings: LOFT pink ring $11, My Stella & Dot website $49
Watch: Michael Kors, family gift
Bracelets: My Stella & Dot website $49, Kohl's $9


1. Ralph Lauren belt, $42
2. Forever 21 belt, $8.80
3. Bloomingdale's belt, $42
With the bride and her adorable ensemble

38 comments:

  1. That dress is very cute!  I think it looks perfect for a BBQ reception.

    I usually take the safe route with weddings -- I wear something that I would wear to church.

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  2. I love the mix of turquoise and yellow together!  Very cute :-)

    Maria

    www.daintyanddecadent.com

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  3. Where did you get the flats in the last picture?

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  4. I have been eyeing this dress for our vacation to Mexico later this year but was not sure how I would pair it. I love the addition of the belt, I think it adds a lot more to the look and I really like the bright colors J
    As far as weddings go, it depends. I am Catholic and was always taught not to bare shoulders in church, so regardless I stick to that rule of thumb. If it’s a formal wedding and I have a cocktail dress on, I wear a shawl or pashmina to cover my shoulders for church. But for a casual wedding reception, I think you hit the nail on the head with this look and I would have worn a cardigan or something if I needed to go to church and then lose it at the reception.
    I was at a wedding back in high school for good friends of the family and it was a formal wedding. I was shocked by the number of people wearing JEANS to the reception!?!?! Really??? Unless specifically stated otherwise, jeans are NOT wedding appropriate.  

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  5. I love the one you ended up wearing it looks great! Your first photo of the outfit looks just a fabulous too though! 

    Hope you had a great time! Your friend looks adorable :)

    http://kikiscornerfunfashionandfrivolity.blogspot.com/ 

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  6. This is fabulous! I love the dress and it's perfect for a BBQ reception! 

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  7. I love this outfit! The dress is so colorful and the belt and cardigan just pull it all together!

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  8. Love the mustard pumps in the top picture, they look so good with tan legs!

    http://gandacummings.blogspot.com

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  9. LOVE this dress with all 3 shoes! :)  And I especially love it with the turquoise cardi.  What a perfect dress for a backyard BBQ!!

    xx,

    Abby

    http://abbyisalldolledup.wordpress.com

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  10. Great!

    Zepequeña.

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  11. i LOVE this! your outfit looks fab and her lace dress and cowboy boots are wonderful! so fun and springy!

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  12. I love the tan sandals you have on.  Can you tell me where you got them? Thanks so much

    kas08@sbcglobal.net

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  13. I'm the same... I'm Catholic so if I'm ever at a wedding in a church, especially a Catholic one, I cover my shoulders. Usually with something simple like a pashmina.

    I think your outfit is great for more of a casual, outdoor wedding though!

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  14. Such a cute dress! You look amazing :)

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  15. jseverydayfashionMay 1, 2012 at 12:30 PM

    Thank you! They are by Diba, I got them at Nordstrom Rack last year, have never been able to find them online unfortunately!

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  16. jseverydayfashionMay 1, 2012 at 12:30 PM

    They are by Diba, I got them at Nordstrom Rack last year, have never been able to find them online unfortunately!

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  17. jseverydayfashionMay 1, 2012 at 12:33 PM

    Love these guidelines Kristin! I agree that if it's a church wedding (and not on the beach, etc.) then it's smart to bring a blazer, cardigan or shawl to cover-up, and then you can take it off for the reception. I also agree that jeans are hardly ever wedding appropriate, and my other no-no is wearing white or ivory, b/c I think that should be reserved for the bride! :-)

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  18. That dress is adorable! I am currently preggo but this is totally something I would have worn pre=pregnancy! When are you going to get preggo and show maternity fashion? I'm struggling personally!

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  19. I love the dress and I think the length is perfect!

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  20. simplysarahstyleMay 1, 2012 at 1:44 PM

    love all of this - such great colors!!!  Love that the bride had on cowboy boots too, how awesome!

    Sarah
    sarahsavvystyle.blogspot.com

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  21. I love your outfit! I just got a dress at target with a similar color pallet! work-it-blog.blogspot.com

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  22. great dress for a casual outdoor wedding. I was just MOH in my best friends wedding this weekend -- I have pics of those dresses on my blog. Check it out! : )

    http://allthingsprettyandlittle.blogspot.com/

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  23. Super cute dress!!  Perfect for an outdoor wedding.
    xoxo,
    Rachael
    www.rachaelkhawkins.blogspot.com

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  24. I especially love the first look, but they're all great!  Congrats to the bride and groom.

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  25. You look great! And those flats are perfect for an outdoor wedding.

    http://fiveminutefashions.blogspot.com/

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  26. Love the fun chevron print!

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  27. I think most people ask about weddings because they are usually dressier than what most people wear on a normal basis, so we don't have something in our closet that we can wear.  But you're right, no two are the same.  I am attending a backyard wedding/BBQ reception at the end of this month and I'm sure I can pull several dresses out of my closet that would be appropriate.  But when I was invited to a fancy, more formal wedding last December, I knew I had nothing that would be appropriate for the event.  And I also have a black tie wedding in September that will require a real gown, so I can't even recycle the dress I wore in December.  Sigh. 

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  28. I've been reading your blog for a few months now and although I've never been that into fashion, it's inspired me to at least pay a little more attention to how I dress! I live in Beijing (where we do NOT have a Forever 21), read your latest post this morning, and stopped by a random little clothes store on my way home where they sell a lot of brand names with their labels cut. And what should I find but this Forever 21 dress for 10 bucks!! Had I not read your post this morning I most likely would never have bought it as I usually don't wear as many colours. But in the whole 'spirit of trying to be more adventurous' I grabbed it and it looks great! Thanks for the inspiration! You're reaching readers all the way in China =)

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  29. jseverydayfashionMay 2, 2012 at 10:56 AM

    What a cool story, thanks for sharing NIcole and for reading the blog! I'm excited that you are stepping out of your fashion comfort zone a bit! :-)

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  30. jseverydayfashionMay 2, 2012 at 10:58 AM

    I totally agree - a lot of times weddings require a purchase, which means extra thought. For the gown you could try Rent the Runway. I haven't used that service before, but for that occasion it could be great if you don't anticipate needing a gown again!

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  31. Oh no! This dress is no longer available from forever 21.... Any other suggestions for other sites with a similar dress?

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  32. Oh no! This dress is no longer available at Forever 21... any suggestions for similar dresses on another website?

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  33. jseverydayfashionMay 3, 2012 at 5:14 PM

    Oh boo! These two have a similar cut and style, but with softer colors: http://www.shopstyle.com/action/apiVisitRetailer?id=341185499&pid=uid2641-1460879-79 http://www.shopstyle.com/action/apiVisitRetailer?id=332369489&pid=uid2641-1460879-79

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  34.  I just can't take my eyes out
    of this picture half ninja half sexy

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  35. ClouboutinsneakersMay 19, 2012 at 11:41 AM

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    Christian Louboutin Spacer Mens Flat Sneakers Beige
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  36. That dress is adorable but I can never find a bra that works under something like that. What would you recommend??

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  37. Just a regular strapless bra! I wear mine pretty much all summer long!

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