Afraid to upstage the bride… What to wear to a wedding, or maybe not

Afraid to upstage the bride… What to wear to a wedding, or maybe not

I am going to a wedding reception in the Outer Banks this weekend. I have this spectacular dress and I am not sure if it is really okay for the occasion. The wedding is of an old family friend and she has always been pretty wild. All I know about the event is that it is at 7PM and the plates were $35 per person.

Okay, to the dress…

It is all over silver beads and sequins on grey chiffon with spaghetti straps and a plunging neckline. It fits like a dream but there is quite a bit of skin. Ahh... I like it sooo much and have never had the opportunity to wear it, but I am scared of upstaging the bride. BTW, I am 33 and she is 55 and, again, has always been a very outgoing party girl.

What do you think? The sequins and beads are in alternating vertical lines down the length of the dress. It hits below the knee with a zig zag hem line. It's kinda like a sexy Suzie Snowflake frock. Please help. Thanks. (Wilmington, NC)

Geez, I don’t know what the price per plate has to do with anything, but we just spent $35 a kid for my son’s birthday party, and that did not include goody bags or smoothies! The joys of big ticket, big city living. Since it’s the Outer Banks of North Carolina, I would assume the wedding is at an off-season beach community, but I don’t know how fancy it gets there.

What I do know is that if you ever have any question about what is appropriate to wear at a wedding, ask the bride or someone close to her.

Your dress sounds sexy and fun. If your friend is a party girl, she would most likely be fine with a guest wearing such a daring number. But, do you feel comfortable wearing it? You seem a little apprehensive that although the dress looks hot on you it may not be right for this occasion. I always say go by your gut and ask the bride! If your dress is too jazzy for this wedding, there’s always Valentine’s Day!

--December 31, 2007

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