Israfil Posted February 11, 2006 Posted February 11, 2006 Is it appropriate to wear a black cocktail dress to an evening wedding? I am a guest, not a member of the bridal party. The groom is my cousin. It is black (as I said), sleeveless but has spaghetti straps, and shows quite a bit of cleavage. The fabric also has little shiny glitter type stuff in patterns throughout. It is tasteful, not overt, but obviously dressy and sexy. I would wear a translucent black wrap over the shoulders, and some open-toed cute heels. The wedding is at 5PM. This is an intimate wedding – close family and friends only in an upscale boutique hotel, which has been rented out for the weekend for this occasion.
SoleMate Posted February 11, 2006 Posted February 11, 2006 It's better to wear a color, not black or white. If you really must wear the dress, I would make the wrap be something brighter and more festive that coordinates.
Author Israfil Posted February 11, 2006 Author Posted February 11, 2006 awwww. really? ok. thanks for the advice, Solemate. Good to see you back here!
JayKay Posted February 11, 2006 Posted February 11, 2006 It depends. I went to a very formal wedding several years ago and at least 25% of the people there wore black. Black can be very elegant and very appropriate. If you are unsure, I would check with the bride herself or ask other people who plan to attend the wedding. I used to live in New York where there is an ongoing love affair with black anyway. In other areas of the country, it may be considered inappropriate.
magda Posted February 11, 2006 Posted February 11, 2006 Black is considered okay for evening weddings these days. Since you say it's tasteful and not overt, it should be fine.
cal gal Posted February 11, 2006 Posted February 11, 2006 It might depend upon where you live, however black nowadays at an evening wedding is not generally considered taboo like it was years ago. When I got married (in California) I had an evening wedding and my bridal party wore black cocktail dresses. They were very classy and very pretty. The gals liked them because they were able to wear to other functions after that. I'd definitely vote for the black sheer wrap though, especially if the dress shows alot of cleavage, as you indicated. No cleavage until well into the gathering after the wedding. Accessories with such an outfit at an event as this should be elegant and understated...
Author Israfil Posted February 11, 2006 Author Posted February 11, 2006 It depends. Black can be very elegant and very appropriate. If you are unsure, I would check with the bride herself or ask other people who plan to attend the wedding. I used to live in New York where there is an ongoing love affair with black anyway. In other areas of the country, it may be considered inappropriate. Thanks for the info. I will check with the groom’s mother (my aunt). Black is considered okay for evening weddings these days. Since you say it's tasteful and not overt, it should be fine. Great. But it is quite ‘sexy’. I'd definitely vote for the black sheer wrap though, especially if the dress shows alot of cleavage, as you indicated. No cleavage until well into the gathering after the wedding. Accessories with such an outfit at an event as this should be elegant and understated... Great advice. Thanks! I was not going to wear any jewelry, except maybe some earrings (small). Will that work?
cal gal Posted February 11, 2006 Posted February 11, 2006 Yes, Small or a simple drop earring with a conservative necklace would be pretty. I would go for a few bracelets since it is strapless.
penkitten Posted February 11, 2006 Posted February 11, 2006 yes it sounds lovely. the rules of the old wives tales only talk about what color the bride is wearing, not the guests.
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