I should have labeled this what not to wear as a wedding guest as those rules are the main focus here. I have been a guest at 10 weddings in the last two years so I have a lot of experience choosing an outfit for this occasion. Here are some rules that I always follow when choosing what to wear to a friend or family member’s wedding:

1. Do NOT wear white – You would think this would just be common sense but the past few weddings I’ve been to, I’ve seen girls wearing white dresses. This just blows my mind because don’t they know the bride is the only one that should be wearing white? It doesn’t matter if the bride chose ivory instead of white, you still don’t wear a white dress to someone else’s wedding. End of story. Tan, beige, light gray – those are all fair game. Just leave your white dress at home for another occasion.
2. Don’t wear the same color as the bridesmaids – You don’t want to look like the bridesmaid that got left behind therefore, always ask what colors the bridesmaids are wearing and avoid wearing it. I’ve seen girls come in wearing the same exact color as the bridal party and when the bridesmaids have different style dresses in the same color, it can get very confusing.
3. Make sure to check the dress code – If it’s a very formal affair, make sure you look the part. Don’t come in wearing a casual day-to-day dress. If it’s a bohemian styled wedding, don’t wear a cocktail dress because you’ll look very out of place (and I’m just mentioning boho styled weddings because I’ve heard of two friends going to these recently and didn’t even realize this was a trend). In general, just follow the theme. You want to be respectful to the couple and completely ignoring the dress code does not fall under the category of being respectful.
4. Men –  Don’t wear jeans. It’s that simple.

Featured above is the look I wore for the most recent wedding I attended. I got a nude off shoulder dress from Lulu’s and paired it up with all black accessories  – Michael Antonio black strappy heels, this black lace like necklace from Charming Charlie and a few other pieces.