The Budget Babe | Affordable Fashion & Style Blog

Ask BB: What Should I Wear to a Black Tie Wedding?

I have been invited to a black tie wedding and have absolutely no idea what to wear. I have never been to a black tie event before, especially a wedding, so I'm stumped. I have a little black cocktail dress that I wore once before to a movie premier and was leaning towards wearing that dress. I think I should also add that the couple are religious, so I can't wear anything too revealing. The dress I wore to the premier is pictured [at right]. I added a beautiful feathered belt to the dress, which came together very nicely. Love to hear your thoughts. —Stacy-Ann M.

While I love the cocktail dress you've shared, you'll probably want to wear a floor-length dress if the invite says "black tie." If it says "black tie optional," then you can probably get away with a shorter cocktail dress. As a general rule, it's best to err on the side of being over rather than under-dressed. Besides, opportunities to get this glammed up don't come around that often so seize the chance to go floor-length and fabulous!

It doesn't hurt to do a little detective work, too. Ask friends, relatives or even the bride to help clarify the dress code expectations. Bring a shawl or jacket so you can cover your shoulders during the religious portion of the ceremony (always a safe bet at any place of worship).

Now, on to the dresses! If you decide to go with a floor length gown, vintage is the most budget friendly and unique. Another option is to rent your dress. This jeweltone Carlos Miele gown costs $150 to rent from Renttherunway.com:



If you want to buy a gown, David's Bridal is a surprisingly good source for evening gowns on a budget. This Vera Wang dress is $178 and comes in a few different colors. I'd add bold costume jewelry to make it really pop. The fact that it looks a lot like the first dress I posted is purely a coincidence!



There's always the time honored tradition of scouring the sales racks at your favorite department stores. I've always had luck at Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's and Lord & Taylor. You just have to dig and try things on.



What advice would you give Stacy-Ann? Do you think the dress she's thinking of wearing is okay for a black tie wedding? Let her know in the comments!

Comments
I've found that while black tie traditionally used to mean a floor length dress, that definition has loosened up a little. I've been to a number of black tie weddings and black tie events in recent years, and I always see lots of women in dressy, knee-length cocktail dresses at black tie events, so in my experience, your cocktail dress should be fine, although I would definitely dress it up with formal jewelry and perhaps an updo.
#1 Rhys on 2012-07-05 15:48 (Reply)
I would also check out the sale and wedding (bridesmaid) areas on jcrew.com. Sometimes you can find floor length (or cocktail) dresses on sale for a reasonable price. I find that their styles err on the classic side. If I'm going to spend $$$ on a dress I like something that I can still wear in the future.
#2 jen_cam on 2012-07-05 17:21 (Reply)
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