It's Wedding Season! Finding the Right Dress for the Occasion.

With wedding season officially kicking off next month, many guests will be scrambling to find the perfect ensemble for the occasion. While location and weather can certainly play a part in picking out that dress, wedding attire is mostly dependent on your relationship to the bride and groom and the wedding style.

For instance, if the wedding is taking place in a church, temple or other religious institution, make sure your dress length is conservative and don’t bare your shoulders—if the dress is short-sleeved, wear a shawl or scarf in the venue. Also respect their dress code wishes—if the invitation say formal, make sure you are wearing a long dress.

Family Member

If you are part of the bride or groom’s family, you should get approval for whatever you wear by the bride regardless if in wedding or not. You don't want to match the bridesmaids or take away from the wedding party and/or the bride. Odds are you will be in the family photos and you want to have the bride’s approval just to be considerate. It would be good to stay within the color scheme, but not to overdo it and clash. The bride will appreciate it later in photos.

Close Friend

If you are a close friend, but not in the wedding party, stay with solids and avoid loud colors. Yes, you want to look good, but remember that the wedding days isn’t about you. You don’t want to be that person in the bright floral number. If evening and formal, wear a long dress. If it is summer and the wedding is outdoors, a short dress will work but stay away from short and sleeveless unless you have a shawl or scarf to cover sleeves again, as a sign of respect to the groom and bride.

Acquaintance

For acquaintances, who aren’t close to either the groom or the bride, it’s best to be neutral and conservative all the way. For instance, knee length is the shortest you should go, and pick a dress with sleeves. Try not to stand out and keep it neutral. Conservative is best in this situation.

Also, don’t forget to consider your accessories. Earrings, necklace or a clutch can offer great way to dress up or dress down your core outfit. And most importantly, no matter what you pick, remember to make the most of your guest experience!