A beautiful dress is the foundation of any wedding guest outfit, but it's the accessories that truly complete the look and elevate it from good to exceptional. The right jewellery, bag, and finishing touches can transform even a simple dress into a standout ensemble, while the wrong choices can diminish the impact of even the most stunning gown. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about accessorising for weddings.
Jewellery: Finding the Right Balance
The cardinal rule of wedding guest jewellery is balance. If your dress is heavily embellished, beaded, or features statement details, your jewellery should be understated and complementary. Conversely, a simple, elegant dress provides the perfect canvas for more dramatic jewellery pieces that can become the focal point of your outfit.
When selecting earrings, consider your hairstyle and neckline together. If you're wearing your hair up, this is your opportunity for statement earrings that will be fully visible. Hair worn down often calls for smaller studs or drops that won't get lost in your locks. High necklines or detailed bodices pair well with simple studs, while lower necklines and simple bodices can accommodate bolder earring choices.
- Choose ONE statement piece: either earrings OR necklace OR bracelet
- Keep other pieces simple to avoid competing elements
- Match metals for a cohesive look, or mix deliberately
- Consider the colour and style of your dress when choosing metals
For necklaces, the neckline of your dress is your guide. V-necks and sweetheart necklines look beautiful with pendant necklaces that echo the V-shape. Boat necks and off-shoulder styles often look best with statement earrings instead of necklaces. High necklines typically don't require a necklace at all—save your statement for earrings or a beautiful bracelet.
Bags and Clutches: Style Meets Function
Your wedding guest bag needs to be large enough to hold essentials but small enough to remain elegant. The classic clutch remains the most popular choice for weddings because it's inherently dressy and appropriately sized. However, don't overlook small crossbody bags or elegant wristlets, which offer hands-free convenience for long celebrations.
When choosing a bag, consider practicality as well as aesthetics. At minimum, you'll need space for your phone, credit card or cash, lipstick for touch-ups, and any medication you might need. Tissues, safety pins, and blotting papers are wise additions. For destination or outdoor weddings, you might also need room for sunglasses or a small mirror.
Your clutch should be proportional to your body size. Petite women should avoid oversized clutches that overwhelm their frame, while taller women can carry slightly larger bags without them looking out of place.
Metallics are a safe and versatile choice for wedding guest bags—gold, silver, and rose gold work with virtually any dress colour. Nude and blush tones are also excellent neutral options. If you want your bag to be a statement piece, choose one in an accent colour that complements but doesn't match your dress exactly.
Wraps, Shawls, and Cover-Ups
A beautiful wrap or shawl serves multiple purposes at weddings. It keeps you warm during evening portions of the celebration, provides coverage for religious ceremonies that require modest dress, protects shoulders from sun at outdoor events, and adds an extra layer of elegance to your overall look.
Pashminas remain eternally popular for their versatility—they're lightweight enough for summer evenings yet provide genuine warmth when needed. For more formal weddings, consider a silk or satin wrap in a complementary colour to your dress. Lace shawls add romance to simpler dresses, while structured capes or cropped jackets work for fashion-forward celebrations.
When selecting a wrap colour, you have two main approaches. Matching your dress creates a coordinated, elongating effect, while choosing a complementary or accent colour adds visual interest. Both can work beautifully depending on your personal style and the formality of the event.
Hair Accessories: When and How
Hair accessories can add a special touch to wedding guest looks, but they require careful consideration. For daytime garden weddings and more whimsical celebrations, fascinators, hair clips with flowers or crystals, and elegant headbands can be wonderful additions. For evening and more formal weddings, subtler options like jewelled pins, delicate hair vines, or simple barrettes tend to be more appropriate.
The key is ensuring your hair accessory complements rather than competes with the bride's look. Avoid anything overly bridal—white flowers, elaborate veils, or tiaras are definitively off-limits. Similarly, be cautious of pieces so large or dramatic that they draw excessive attention.
Avoid bridal-adjacent accessories like white flower crowns, pearl headpieces, or elaborate crystal tiaras. The bride should be the most adorned person at the wedding.
Sunglasses for Outdoor Ceremonies
For daytime outdoor weddings, stylish sunglasses serve both practical and aesthetic purposes. Choose a pair that complements your face shape and dress style. Classic shapes like cat-eye or elegant aviators tend to photograph well and suit the festive atmosphere. Avoid overly sporty styles or mirrored lenses that feel too casual for a wedding context.
Keep sunglasses on during the ceremony only if truly necessary for visibility—otherwise, perch them on your head or tuck them into your clutch. Many guests remove them for the ceremony itself as a sign of respect and to be fully present for the couple's vows.
Building a Wedding Guest Accessory Wardrobe
Rather than buying new accessories for every wedding, consider building a versatile collection of quality pieces that work across multiple occasions. A good wedding guest accessory wardrobe might include a neutral clutch in either metallic or nude, a statement clutch in a versatile colour like blush or navy, one pair of classic stud earrings in either gold or silver, one pair of statement drop earrings, a delicate pendant necklace, a quality pashmina or wrap in a neutral tone, and one pair of elegant sunglasses.
These foundational pieces can be mixed and matched with various dresses, allowing you to create different looks without constantly buying new accessories. When you do add new pieces, choose items that fill gaps in your collection or work with specific outfits you already own.
Coordinating All Your Accessories
The final step in accessorising is ensuring all your pieces work harmoniously together. This doesn't mean everything must match perfectly—in fact, perfectly matched sets can look dated or costume-like. Instead, aim for pieces that share a common thread, whether that's metal colour, style era, or overall vibe.
Lay out your entire outfit including all accessories before the wedding day. Look at everything together and assess whether the overall effect is balanced and cohesive. Remove anything that feels excessive or doesn't contribute to the look you're creating. Often, the most elegant outfits are those where restraint has been exercised—where each accessory has been chosen deliberately and nothing is superfluous.
Remember, accessories should enhance your overall appearance without overwhelming your dress or your natural beauty. The best accessorised wedding guests are those whose finishing touches feel effortless and intentional, completing their look with polish and personality.