Western Wedding: What to Wear

As of late, it seems every time I run to the mailbox there is a wedding announcement awaiting me. My social media is filled with pictures of blushing brides at beautiful venues surrounded by close friends and family. I’m tender hearted, I’ll admit, the sight of my friends so overjoyed to have found the love of their lives brings a little tear to my eye. 

The thought of the amount of money that I’ll likely spend over the course of the summer on gifts, bridesmaid dresses and other wedding jargon however, makes me a little uneasy. What I’ll wear to these countless receptions, dinners and ceremonies also causes some stress. BuzzFeed summed it up quite hilariously in this clip 

For those of you who are having similar anxiety over what to wear, especially when you are a boots and tee shirt kind of person. I’ve compiled a few outfit ideas below with some tips for getting through all things wedding reception and ceremony related.

Keep in mind the formality of the wedding, the venue and the time. Thankfully the weddings I attend are generally semi-casual and in an outdoor setting. The outfit ideas I suggest below reflect that. Contact me for more ideas on other looks for other settings.

Women

Ladies we have options. It’s all about harnessing your own style, and channeling it for the venue. I love boots and jeans. So for me, wearing boots is a necessity and is the starting point for my outfit.

For dressing up, I recommend tall boots like Corral Boots or Old Gringo. They cover more leg (for those of us with barrel racer bruises or a significant lack of a tan), typically have a higher heel and a rounded or pointed toe to give a more feminine shape. Ankle boots are on trend right now and can give an outfit some edge if you are looking to step away from cowboy boots.

A dress or skirt is the route most of us choose. I love to pair either look with a great belt and long necklace. Here are some great looks I pulled from Pinterest.

Image Credit: Wild Bleu Boutique shopwildbleu.com

Image Credit: Cavenders.com

For hair, go with loose curls or a chic side braid or ponytail.

Headed for a casual reception? Check out 100 ways to wear the Betty to get some ideas on how to dress up your jeans.

Men

For you, the key to pulling off a great wedding look is a pair of great fitting dark wash jeans with a tooled-leather belt, topped with a crisp button down. Clean boots and a well shaped felt hat round out the look.

So you’re dressed and present. Now what?

If you’re attending the actual ceremony, do everyone a favor and turn off your cell phone. No one wants to hear your phone ringing in the middle of their wedding video. Sure you want to take pictures, but that’s why they hired a professional photographer. Save the photo and video taking for them. Be present in the moment and step away from the phone. Social media can wait.

Attending the reception? Sign their guest book, admire the little details, thank the parents and tell them the venue is perfect. They are the thankless group on this day and chances are they are exhausted from all the planning.

Participate. What do I mean? If they have a dance floor, DANCE. You might feel silly but the bride and groom want the guests to be enjoying their day as much as they are. Eat, drink and be merry.

Be sure to share your wedding tips and tricks.

- Paige Morgan
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