The current wedding season is well underway, and in addition to trying to find you the best wedding guest dresses, we're here to also help you with those tricky questions about wedding dress codes and style etiquette. Today's wedding attire question we'll answer is: Can a wedding guest wear a beige dress to a wedding?
Our answer is cautiously given - yes - but great care needs to be taken when selecting the right beige dress to wear to a wedding. We're here to show you how to make a great dress choice for any of the upcoming weddings you might be attending.
Commissionable links are used in shopping sources. We carefully select the dresses we feature here for their wedding attire suitability.
Image credits and shopping sources: Dress: Earrings: Swirl Statement Earrings by Bauble Bar from Nordstrom Bracelet: Crystal Filigree Bangle by Marchesa from Nordstrom Clutch: Crystal Clutch by Nina from Nordstrom Heels: Anders Ankle Strap Heels from Nordstrom
Can A Guest Wear Beige to a Wedding?
Most wedding guests know that wearing ivory, cream, or white to a wedding is a dress code faux pas, but the neighboring shades of beige, tan, champagne, and butter yellow create some confusion.
After all, champagne and beige dresses are not only acceptable, but also very popular for bridesmaids and mothers in the wedding party. Perhaps because of this, like us, you are likely to subconsciously think of these beige tones in relation to wedding attire.
In fact, back in our own early days of attending weddings, we mistakenly thought beige was the height of tasteful wedding guest style and wore a light beige look to a wedding a few times.
Looking back on it we partially blame wedding movies and TV depictions of weddings of the 1990s and 2000s, where they would often show both main characters and guests in the background wearing beige.
Even today, we also see some of the well-known retailers put white dresses in shops under wedding attire and influencers will sometimes show light-colored dress styles in the name of wedding guest attire. No wonder everyone is confused!
Our take is this: with so many dress colors available there are several better dress colors to choose from besides beige. But take heart, if you love wearing neutrals like beige, beige is not completely off-limits. To be sure you've made a great choice in wearing beige for this special event, we'll show you exactly the style of beige dresses that will help you remain a best-dressed guest.
Beige Wedding Attire That Works
To be clear, we think neutral gold, beige, and taupe shades are fantastic for bridesmaids. In fact, we have several articles and picks for neutral bridesmaid dresses that we wholeheartedly love. We think neutral colors also make for elegant and lovely neutral mother-of-the-bride or groom dresses.
For the men, beige, tan, and khaki suits look particularly great for summer weddings and beach weddings. However, in all of these cases, the couple has usually had a say in what the wedding party will be wearing and therefore has given this lighter color choice of beige and neutral attire their blessing.
That said, beige isn't off-limits in the way that a white dress or white gown would be. Like we said, if wearing neutral colors is part of your personal style, then here are our tips for picking the right beige dress for your next wedding invite.
First make sure the dress or jumpsuit is not in the palest, ivory, tan, or cream end of the color family. Instead, select a dress that leans toward the taupe, greige, dark or yellow gold, or mocha color palette.
Picking a beige dress that has some pattern, texture, and perhaps includes a few other colors in the mix is a great way to ensure that your beige dress is a good one!
Why Is a Beige Dress Often a Bad Idea for a Wedding Guest?
The lightest shades of beige dresses are found in oatmeal, buff, and tan shades. Sadly these are so light that they can read as ivory or cream which is a wedding guest outfit no-no.
Additionally, beige dresses can sometimes include sheer nude underlay style dresses, which are too similar to some wedding dresses and therefore aren't a good idea for a wedding guest.
Another reason to approach beige cautiously is because it might be the wedding party color. Given the popularity of neutral palettes in wedding decor and bridesmaid dresses in colors like pale yellow, gold satin, and beige in bridesmaid dresses, weddings a beige tone might be the color might already be one of the chosen wedding colors for the wedding party color scheme and therefore used in the wedding party.
Mothers in the wedding party are usually free to choose a stunning champagne dress or pale neutral sequined gown like these neutral mother-of-the-bride dresses but it can be a little bit of a fashion etiquette risk to wear these styles as a guest.
Another reason beige wouldn't be our first choice is because we are also seeing a return of bright and bold colors for guests.
Today's trends, especially for a summer wedding, wedding guest dresses lean toward colorful dresses and creative black tie, meaning bright colors for both female guests and wedding parties. At this type of wedding, understated and pale neutral dresses, barely-there pastels, and light colors -- while usually known for their elegance and subtlety -- can inadvertently stand out if the couple wants a color-saturated crowd on their big day.
Ideally, a dress code like this will be indicated by the couple. If the wedding invitation or any of the wedding theme cues hint at a beige or neutral color palette, or you know from the couple or member of the bridal party that the wedding colors will include shades of beige, you'll know for sure that beige should be avoided by guests.
The only exception to this would be if the the couple has requested that guests wear a neutral palette in keeping with their wedding theme. Overall, choosing darker colors for beige, tan, and gold can help you stay in the realm of best-dressed and appropriate style for the wedding day.
Is Beige OK for Male Guests?
Beige suits aren't usually off limits for the male guests for daytime weddings. In fact, a tan suit with a crisp white shirt can look just right for a casual outdoor wedding, or a daytime summer wedding, and can be the perfect choice for a beach, tropical, or coastal wedding.
However, if you know the groomsmen will be wearing beige, then you might want to skip the beige suit to avoid blending in too much. Instead, choose a light blue or gray if the dress code indicates a summerweight light-colored suit is in order.
In colder weather and for more formal evening events, tan suits aren't a great idea for male guests. If the wedding is a night, or the dress code is formal or black tie, male guests should usually opt for a dark suit, even in the summer, unless the provided dress code suggests otherwise.
How Do You Pick the Right Beige Dress?
In addition to staying with darker colors of tan, a range of colors, or choosing a dress with an all-over pattern, you might also want to check it out in various lighting including outdoors to see if the color reads as too light. It can also be a good idea to take a picture to see how it looks in photos, keeping in mind any flash pictures taken at night will make a dress look even lighter. This is especially true with reflective satin styles.
That said, the last thing you want to worry about as a wedding guest is being uncomfortable with your outfit choice. If you're already questioning if something is ok to wear, we know from our own personal experience, that it's your gut telling you that it's not the perfect wedding outfit for you! Instead, try something in a dark color or a strong enough shade that you won't have to worry.
What colors do we suggest as an alternative if you love wearing neutral colors? If the wedding party is in beige and you want to compliment this in your attire, and the wedding is late summer or fall, something in the earthy muted tones of olive green, navy blue, rust, bronze, brown, or jewel tones can be a better choice.
If it's a spring or summer wedding, then try a moody shade of mauve, sage, lavender, or dusty blue.
Shop The Look
We've handpicked these beige dresses for their suitability for wedding guest attire. Commissionable links are used in the shopping sections of this site.
What Other Colors Are Off Limits for Wedding Guests?
Beige isn't the only color that might be off-limits for wedding guests. In addition to avoiding white dresses and white gowns, there are some other colors to steer clear of. We've covered when you can wear red and when you can wear black dresses, and we'll cover a few more shades as well.
And if you're a couple planning a wedding, please know that explaining the dress code in detail can be a helpful thing to do! While guests don't necessarily want a list of colors to wear unless a color-coordinated guest look is your wish for your wedding reception, it is helpful if you clearly define your dress code requirements if you have them. To help, feel free to link the pages of some of our wedding guest outfit ideas on your wedding website if you feel they accurately depict your dress code, or follow us on Instagram, and make a dress code request, and we'll try to make a collage that depicts the look for future posts.
