Spring - March 23, 2016

What to wear to a bridal shower

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What to Wear to a Bridal Shower

Given that it’s almost the end of March and wedding season is upon us, let’s talk about what to wear to a bridal shower. Because I don’t know about you, but my fridge is flooded with wedding and shower invites galore – so much so that I had to order another batch of magnets yesterday on amazon prime to hang them all up! 

I’m going to discuss a few key things to consider when getting dressed for your shower, but I wanted to first talk about what type of event I would wear the dress featured above. Obviously, this dress is a little on the fancier and more conservative side, but I like to take these types of events (bridal showers) as opportunities to wear things that I wouldn’t normally be able to wear. And this dress (which I think is absolutely adorable!) is a perfect example of something I probably wouldn’t wear anywhere except to maybe church, but this might just be because my life is pretty casual and I work from home.

But whatever the case, I plan on wearing this dress to an upcoming bridal shower in the next few weeks. As for the details of the shower, it’s at 11:00 AM and it’s a kitchen shower; there will be parents and friends there but it’s all women and finger bites and coffee will be served. So as you can imagine, the shower will probably have a little bit of a formal-ish feel to it – sort of like a luncheon – which is why I chose this dress. Hope that helps! 

There are a few things to keep in mind when figuring out what you’re going to wear to one of these events. I’ll name a few in list form to make for easy and breezy reading:

Consider the bride and her personality

The most obvious thing to consider here is that you should NOT EVER wear white because that color (and pretty much all shades of color close to it) are reserved exclusively for her. So save all those beautiful white dresses for Sunday church or other non-wedding-related events.

Also, since you’re invited to her shower, then you probably know her relatively well, so consider her personality and sense of style when it comes to deciphering the underlying “vibe” of the event.

What time of day is the wedding shower?

Like any event, the time of day that the shower is being held will speak to what kind of attire will be appropriate. I’ve been to all kinds of showers at various times – brunch, afternoon, and evening – and they were all very different.

I would say that showers held earlier in the day are typically fancier and call for a more modest get up like a feminine dress or at least some sort of top that’s more substantial than spaghetti straps. And showers at night allow a little more flexibility and the attire can almost be likened to “going out” clothes. But again, this is just in my experience – there are always going to be exceptions.

Where is the wedding shower?

Consider where the shower is and in what way you’ll be celebrating the bride/couple there. In other words, will you be opening presents at one of her parents friends house (e.g., kitchen shower)? Or will you be sipping mimosas and enjoying brunch at a fancy-ish restaurant? I would say, if it’s a restaurant, consider how nice that spot is and dress accordingly.

If it’s at a family friend’s house during the day, I would dress conservatively-ish (relatively speaking) and probably wear something similar to what I’d wear to church or a luncheon. On the other hand, if it’s more of a night-time deal (regardless of the location), I would say that you could pretty much wear whatever and that high heels and spaghetti straps are free game.  

Who’s going to be there?

Is this going to be a shower with just a few of her bridesmaids and close friends? Or will it be a coed party that’s more of a celebration than a gift-giving event? Will multiple generations be there or mostly just her/their peers/friends?

I would try and get a feel for what type of shower it is and who will be there because this will help you determine the formality of the event. If it’s truly a “bridal shower”, then I bet it will only be the bride and her close friends (aka all girls), so I would dress with more of a luncheon-esque theme in mind. 

What did I miss?

Please comment below with your thoughts and experiences and let me know if you have any other insight – as everything I mentioned above is from my own personal experience!

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Dress: c/o Eliza J. Pink Gingham Dress // SHOES: White Sandals old (similar HERE and HERE)// BAG: Kate Spade ‘Gramercy’ Crossbody Bag // WATCH: Michael Kors ‘Large Runway’ Watch // EARRINGS: Baublebar Circle Earrings // RINGS:  Kendra Scott Stack Rings

kristen dee photography