Most Beautiful Dresses for Bridal Shower as a Guest (2024)

FAQs

What do I wear as a guest to a bridal shower? ›

As with any outfit you choose to wear, you should consider the weather and season when selecting your ensemble for a bridal shower. “In the winter, you can lean into long dresses, jumpsuits, and nice pants. In the summer, it is safe to lean into shorter midi skirts and dresses,” Abbasi notes.

Wear pastels, neutrals and bright colors to match the celebratory tone of the occasion. Floral prints are a great go-to. Wear something comfortable in case there are bridal shower games. Accentuate a neutral dress or top with bold shoes or accessories.

Shower Invitation Wording about Dress Codes

To make things easy for your guests, you might want to include something like “Dress Code: Casual” or “Dress Code: Formal.” Some other dress code wording for invitations might be: A formal dress code is requested. Please dress in your best! Dress to impress!

When in doubt, wear a dress. It's the ultimate in femininity and the most popular way to dress for a bridal shower. Classic styles like the wraps sheaths, shifts, or fit and flare dresses are ideal because they're on the conservative side.

Avoid wearing anything too chunky or bold, as it may distract from your outfit or look too casual. Consider the venue and weather. The venue and weather of the bridal shower can also influence your bridal shower guest outfit selection.

Think of bridal shower guest outfit as one you might wear to a fancy brunch or luncheon. Bridal shower guest attire can include short, midi and maxi dresses, or jumpsuits and dressy separates, including tops and blouses, trousers, jeans and skirts.

Nude shades and white dresses with colorful prints are fine, but solid whites should be reserved for the star of the show: The Bride. Stay away from red. It may seem trite, but red is considered to be a “vulgar” hue associated with adultery. Not exactly appropriate for celebrating your friend's upcoming nuptials.

Typically the Mother of the Bride's dress should complement the bridal party's color palette. Not necessarily match with the bridesmaids, but choose a color in the color family. The most popular color for the mother of the bride to wear is navy or a royal blue, followed by blush or a shade of nude.

A bridal shower is a more intimate gathering than a wedding and the guest list usually consists of the bride-to-be's closest female friends and relatives, including close relatives of the soon-to-be-bride's spouse.

for the guest:

For guests, my recommendation is to avoid white. It's a nice, subtle way to let the bride shine, so just let her have her moment. Also, if it's a daytime shower, try to avoid black.

How long should a bridal shower be? ›

Bridal showers typically last 2-4 hours and are not considered an all-day event. Although, depending on the type of shower you are hosting the time can vary. Most showers will either take place in the morning and serve as a brunch, or in the afternoon served with lunch or finger foods.

For men, that means you don a suit and a collared shirt but no tie (which immediately states “casual”) and opt for a good classic loafer. For women, a spiffy sweater over a tailored skirt (knee-length or longer) or slacks with a low heel pump or a dressy flat, all topped with an elegant silk scarf.

"Under optimum circ*mstances, the attendants in the bridal party would host the shower," said Gottsman. According to Gottsman, the mother of the bride (MOB) should be a guest, but should not participate.

Traditional etiquette dictates that the maid of honor—not the mother of the bride—should host the shower. Nancy is a freelance writer for MarthaStewart.com. Some etiquette rules were meant to fade away into oblivion, like the one about family members of the bride not hosting her bridal shower.

Bridal Shower Etiquette

Typically, as per tradition, the mother of the groom will bring a gift for the bride to the bridal shower. It can be something small and thoughtful. However, if she cannot attend the shower the bride's side of the family hosts, maybe because of distance, she can host her own.

While jeans are seen as too casual for a typical bridal shower, if the dress code is casual, you can totally wear jeans. We recommend elevating with a dressy top and heels.

"Many people spend around $50 to $75, whereas closer friends and family may spend upwards of $100," she says. "However, the amount you want to spend is up to you."

Yes, if you are invited to a shower in addition to the wedding, you're expected to bring a gift to the shower as well as send a wedding gift. You shouldn't spend more than you're comfortable with, however (see the next answer), and can split your budget between both gifts.

Since showers are intended for the bride's nearest and dearest, every shower guest must already be on the wedding guest list. Because it's understood that guests should bring a present to a shower, it's not appropriate to invite people whom you don't plan to include in the wedding.