The 2011 Wedding Season has begun, and kicking it off are Prince William and Princess Catherine Middleton! They have done a great job if I do say so myself. Kate looked stunning in a simple but elegant Alexander McQueen gown and William was dashing in proper uniform.

Then there are the guests in morning dresses and fascinator hats.  Which begs the question what should guest wear? I mean you want to look nice but you also want to respect the bride by not taking the attention off of her. Well there are a few rules that one should always keep in mind when preparing to get dressed as a guest at a wedding.

For Guys:  A nice classic suit is always appropriate, how you choose to accessorize is based upon personality. An example of what I mean for instance, a striped vest, a daring tie. However, remember daring is not carnival wear!

Women. With women’s attire it is always more complicated but hopefully these guidelines will help.

Casual or Dressy? Always do dressy unless the bride specifically has something else in mind. You always want to respect the couple getting married; one way to do that is by putting on your best.

Backless? I say no to backless. A wedding is an elegant affair, going backless is simply not appropriate. If everything else about the dress is nice, color and length then I would throw a cardigan or blazer over it to make it more wedding suitable.

Short or Long? In all honesty it depends on the dress, but when in doubt choose long.  When I say long I mean at the knee and so on. Short is okay if the material is formal and the shape of the dress is formal. However if you are going to wear a short dress make sure everything else is formal about you ensemble, like adding pearls.

White Dress? UMMM how do I put this NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! Never wear white to a wedding other than your own. It screams I am desperate for attention, not only that it is incredibly rude and selfish to take away from the bride’s big day.

I hope this helps any other questions just ask!

     Copyright:    All creative properties of Ruby Madison LLC