Wedding Guest Dresses for Every Dress Code

Image credits and shopping sources: 1.MacDuggal Pleated Gown from Anthropologie 2. Floral Halter Midi Dress from Astr the Label 3. Celebration Time Dress from Lulus (available in Multiple Colors) 4. Navy Pleated Gown from Rent the Runway

 

The Best Wedding Guest Dresses for 2023 

When searching for the prettiest dresses to wear to weddings, our editors know where to look! We browse our favorite shops and curate the top wedding style ideas according to those we feel best fit specific dress codes,  seasons, and colors. We try to take the guesswork out of picking the perfect dress.  Each dress we select is because we believe it embodies the aesthetic elegance and style that is perfect for wedding attire.

Featured Dress: Gaia Floral Midi Dress From Astr the Label

 

Finding The Perfect Wedding Guest Dress By Dress Code

It's important to find a wedding guest attire that is your own personal style and is appropriate for the dress code, weather, and time of year. To help, we've organized our favorite dresses by the time of day and by extension wedding dress code, and formality to make them easy to shop from the season's best looks and shops. So, no matter what dress code you need a dress for, we think we've made finding the best wedding guest dresses a breeze.

Daytime & Casual Weddings  

From  Emine Dress from Astr the Label

Morning or daytime weddings with ceremonies and receptions starting before 3 pm are usually more casual than other afternoon and evening wedding counterparts. However, this only holds true if you've received an invitation and the dress code hasn't been defined. If there has been a dress code request, then, by all means, adhere to that code as your guideline.

Even casual attire for a wedding should be slightly elevated. We think pretty day dresses or dressy casual separates, along with some tasteful and festive accessories are the best things to wear to this sort of wedding.

For more detailed ideas see our full dressy casual dress code guidelines along with over 70 more ideas for dresses to wear to a casual or daytime wedding.

Cocktail & Semi-Formal Wedding  

From Pleated Satin One Shoulder Dress from Lulus

We find the majority of weddings usually call for semi-formal or cocktail attire. This is especially true if the wedding is held past 4 pm and in a semi-formal venue like a hotel ballroom, beautiful resort, historic mansion, or club. Semi-formal attire usually means a cocktail to formal dress or outfit in a special occasion fabric that is appropriate for the season. You'll want to pair this style with dressy accessories, and elegant hair and makeup styling. If your upcoming wedding has a semi-formal dress code. We think a dress like this is the way to go. 

See more than 70 more dresses that are selected for semi-formal weddings, along with more detailed guidance on a semi-formal dress code. 

Formal & Black Tie Wedding 

Featured Dress: Navy Pleated Gown from Rent the Runway

Formal or black tie attire is usually the most formal of all the wedding invitations, superseded in formality only by white tie dress codes, which we rarely see! Black tie and formal weddings call for the most elegant long gowns and dresses, however, the exact style, color, and formality might vary a bit depending on the time of year, venue, and nuances of the general style of the wedding.

We love a classic gown like this one that covers all the bases of classic black tie dressing. For more detailed dress code advice and ideas see all of the dresses we've picked for formal and black tie weddings.

Our Top 80 Dress Picks to Wear to Weddings

Here are our top dresses for the 2023-2024 wedding season. Each image is linked to the retailer who sells the dress for your shopping convenience. These dresses change frequently, so check back often for this week's finds!  

Each image is a commissionable link to the retailer who sells the dress.

Dresses for Wedding Guests by Season

Season is an important factor in picking the best combination of fabric, style and colors for your wedding guest attire. Each season we look for the best dresses and organize them by season. If you'd prefer to browse that way these posts are for you! Scroll down for more ways to find the best dresses to wear to weddings by color and style.

Wedding Guest Dresses by Color

Red   

This dress is the Contrary to some advice out there, we think you can absolutely wear red to a wedding if you know which dress to go with. See all of our wedding guest picks for red and burgundy dresses.

Pink

Pink is a fantastic color for wedding guests. Just steer clear of the palest pinks and super-pale creamy blush colors, as they can read as cream or white. See more of the pink dresses we recommend for guests.

Coral  

Coral and other orange hues can be a fun color to wear to summer events, beach, or destination weddings. It's also the perfect shade to select when you want a color a little brighter than pink, but not as bold as bright red. See all of our coral wedding guest dress picks here.

Yellow   

Nothing says cheerful wedding attire like a pretty yellow dress! Whether you choose a muted mustard color for fall, a vibrant gold, or a sunny yellow for spring or summer, a yellow dress can be an excellent choice for a wedding guest. If this dress isn't the one, we have a full page of many more yellow dresses for wedding guests.

Green 

Whether you favor a soft sage or mint green, or love the deeper tones of kelly, emerald, or hunter green, we think green is a wonderful choice for many wedding events. We love this dress by Mac Duggal from Anthropologie. Take a glimpse at all green dresses for wedding guests we have selected here.

Light Blue  

Light blue is a classic color for weddings and wedding guests. We love a soft blue tone for spring and summer weddings with more dusty blues for fall and winter. Don't miss all 60 light blue dresses we've selected for wedding guest attire. 

Dark Blue  

Nothing says tasteful and understated wedding style like a dark sapphire blue or navy blue dress, gown, or jumpsuit. In addition to this beautiful dress, please check out 60 more picks we have for dark blue dresses for wedding guests.

Purple   

From soft lavender shades for spring and summer to vibrant tones of plum for fall and winter, purple can be a regal choice for wedding guest attire. Check out the full assortment of purple dresses think are gorgeous for wedding guests.

Floral  

Fun bright florals always come to mind for daytime weddings, spring weddings, and outdoor summer events. For fall we love an autumnal floral maxi dress, and for black tie weddings, a formal gown in a bold print always looks fantastic. To see more gowns and dresses like this, be sure to browse through these floral wedding guest dress picks!

Black

Black dresses are wonderful choices for evening weddings or black-tie weddings. We go to great care to find black dresses that are chic formal and festive, but never somber. Be sure to see more of our collected favorites for black dresses for wedding guests.

This page was originally published  Sep 7, 2012 and updated most recently on July 21, 2023