You’ve already got your dress picked out for the big day and you’ve been in planning mode for months by the time the rehearsal dinner rolls around. If you find that you haven’t picked out the perfect outfit for this very important night, don’t panic. The rehearsal dinner is your chance to welcome friends and family to your big day. You’re in the spotlight, so you want to look wonderful — and there are so many dresses that let you do that. Follow these tips to dress for a successful rehearsal dinner.
Think Outside the (White) Box
If you love wearing white, you’ll probably wear a white rehearsal dinner dress on many occasions. But if white isn’t your color, feel free to take a modern stance and wear a color you prefer. There’s no real reason why you have to wear an all-white dress to the rehearsal dinner, especially if your bridal dress is casual and you plan to wear it again through the years. You can still incorporate white accessories or a white throw and give a to nod to tradition without adhering to it fully.
Incorporate color and season
Your wedding colors already say a lot about you, so consider incorporating these into your attire, especially if you aren’t feeling the white thing. There’s no need to be too matchy-matchy here or things may look costumey. A nice dress with a ribbon or accent color that matches your wedding colors, and a matching tie for your fiancee keep things elegant. Some brides are incorporating their “something blue” the night before by wearing a blue dress or blue accent piece.
Likewise, seasonal accents are practical and offer a way to keep things fun. If you’re planning a beach wedding on a summer day, why not wear a pretty sundress or cocktail dress the night before? Just don’t pair it with flip flops — this is still a nice occasion. Think about climate control when outfit planning. A blast of AC will have you feeling too cool all night and can cramp your mood. Fall and winter weddings call for darker colors and heavier fabrics, but certainly don’t mean you’ll be wearing drab wool.
Stay Classy…
You’re always classy anyway, I know. But this is important. You’re hosting a big, multigenerational event. People have picked out expensive clothing, rented hotel rooms and traveled from far away to share in your big day. Wearing a classy outfit is one thing that you can do to honor that. It should go without saying that you do not want to wear anything too revealing on this day or risk flashing your boobs in a guest’s face as you bend down to hug relatives.
…But Be Comfortable
You can feel just as good as you look, by planning a bit ahead. A comfortable dress or skirt-and-top combo should fit well, so you can sit and eat without feeling like your garment’s too tight. Likewise, your outfit should not be so short that you are constantly tugging on the hemline to pull it down or too long that you’re tripping. Sit, stand and walk in anything you’re considering wearing on this big night, and only spend money when something passes the comfort test.
Try on any and all candidates well in advance of the big night, take photos and send them to your trusted friends for opinions. If you plan ahead, you have enough time to get an outfit altered if you need to — and to splurge on the perfect pair of shoes to show off your dress.
