What to Wear to a Bridal Shower As A Guest (2024)

True Story…Did I tell you about when I went to a bridal shower for my friend’s daughter?

One of the guests was wearing such a low-cut dress that when she reached across the buffet table to get a cup of tea and an egg salad finger sandwich, out popped her nipple. That’s no joke and a good example of what not to wear to a bridal shower!

Here are some guidelines for what to wear to a bridal shower as a guest to look lovely and appropriate.

Bridal showers are sweet celebrations of love, romance, and the woman of honor, the bride-to-be.

Although bridal showers have become a little more relaxed over the years, this doesn’t mean you should show up in boring, everyday clothes. No matter how formal or informal, a bridal shower is an important event calling for something special.

When deciding what to wear, think of a bridal shower as a fancy tea party, with dainty sandwiches, desserts, tea and coffee, and chit-chat because that is basically what it is. The dressing goal is to look pretty, elegant, and ladylike.

If you are the bride’s mother, you are second in importance to the bride, so honor that role by wearing something thoughtful and classy.

Bridal showers can be casual or dressy. However, the bridal shower invitation often doesn’t state the dress code, which can leave you feeling stressed about what to wear.

One clue as to how fancy you should dress is to consider the location. Casual bridal showers are typically held at someone’s home, a church hall, or a community center.

Dressy bridal showers are usually held at a nice restaurant, golf clubs, hotels, or reception hall. In my experience, dressy ones are generally much larger, too. I once went to an Italian wedding shower at a reception hall with 150 ladies!

In any case, there is a tried and true way of dressing for a bridal shower that is always appropriate. You can follow these guidelines.

Bridal showers are about love and romance, so the perfect way to dress is to wear something pretty and feminine. Leave your work power suits or your sexy evening favorites at home. Soft and ladylike is the way to go.

When in doubt, wear a dress. It’s the ultimate in femininity and the most popular thing to wear to a bridal shower.

Classic styles like wraps, sheaths, shifts, or fit-and-flare dresses are ideal because they’re on the conservative side. A pair of flowy dress pants can be beautiful, too, but stay away from jeans or cords, which are just too casual to look right.

For a casual bridal shower, you can wear anything from a pretty sundress to an elevated casual day dress—flowy fabrics like chiffon and feminine details like lace, ruffles, and tiers. work well. Wear something similar to what you would wear for a special occasion Easter or a Mother’s Day brunch.

For a dressy bridal shower, you can glam it up a bit (leaning more toward co*cktail attire, but not as dressy as what you would wear to a wedding). The vibe at a dressy shower is a more chic than soft and sweet.

3. Pastels & Neutrals are a Natural Choice

Light, soft neutrals and pastels in light, pink, blue, yellow, green, are always lovely. If these colors make you feel too washed out, bright, cheery colors also work well.

4. Florals Feel Romantic

Beautiful floral prints always look right at a bridal shower, whether you are wearing a floral dress or blouse. Flowers are synonymous with love and romance. Too small of a floral can be aging. Too large can overwhelm a small frame. Please look for a medium-size print in a modern color combo.

5. Flowy Pants and a Blouse are Lovely

If you don’t like dresses, pants can be beautiful too, so long as they are not too casual or too serious and stiff. The best pants are soft and fluid, such as a pair of wide leg or palazzo pants. They give a relaxed but chic vibe. A dressy jumped in a fabric that drapes nicely can also be a great choice.

6. Put on Your Pretty Shoes

A delicate, feminine shoe may be all you need to transform a plain dress in your closet into a Cinderella-like outfit.

7. Bring on the Bling

Bring on the bling at a bridal shower. You can wear your fine, expensive things or some fun costume jewelry. It doesn’t matter. A little sparkle adds a lot of glam to a special celebration like this.

What to Wear to a Bridal Shower As A Guest (1)

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8. Add Elegant Accessories

Carry a chic clutch, don a silk scarf, or buy that fancy hat you’ve fantasized about wearing. It’s a party. Have fun.

In summer, a bridal shower is often held in someone’s backyard, by the garden or pool, so you could wear a pretty sundress, a maxi dress, pants, a jumpsuit, or even capris and a cute top. In the fall or winter, a casual wedding shower is usually held in someone’s home or at a local community hall. In this case, wearing a casual day dress, dress pants, and a nice sweater or top would be fine.

What Not to Wear to a Bridal Shower

This gets back to my little story at the beginning of this post. Forget plunging necklines and thigh-high skirts. Save those for the co*cktail bar. They’re too showy and hard for an afternoon ladies’ tea party. Of course, you don’t want to look sappy-sweet, but it’s better to err on this side and not look desperate for attention.

Other things you should not wear to a bridal shower

  • white or ivory – This color is reserved for the bride
  • black, gray- Too sad for a happy event, try navy with a bright/light floral print or wear black pants with a light pretty color top.
  • slinky or tight- sexy or edgy is the wrong look for a bridal shower
  • flip flops and shorts – no!
  • sequins – Too glam and they take away from the bride

Final note:

Just so you know, if you are on the fence about buying something new for a bridal shower, please keep this in mind. The same dressy outfit you wear to a bridal shower can also be worn to a baby shower, high school reunion, church, date night, christening, your child’s college graduation, a special birthday party, and more. So go ahead and treat yourself to something fresh and new. You feel good when you look good, and life is much more fun.

Do you have other ideas about what to wear to a bridal shower? Let me know.

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What to Wear to a Bridal Shower As A Guest (2024)
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