For those who reside in the capital, a London wedding is the greatest gift a bride and groom can bestow upon their guests. No dreadful Airbnbs, no extortionate rail (or, worse, air) fares, no searching for signal to call the sole taxi company that serves a random marquee field near the bride’s parents’ house.
The logistical matter that does remain for a London wedding, however, is the all-important matter of what to wear. Regardless of the location, finding a wedding guest outfit is a nightmare — it has to be smart without exuding too much main character energy, suitable for ever-unreliable British weather, and, for god’s sake, not the same colour as whatever the bridesmaids are wearing.
“You can get away with cooler pieces in the city — try a puffed sleeve, an asymmetrical hem, a great suit”
Bridal stylist Rosie Boydell-Wiles
The good news is that the “rules” for London wedding guest dressing are looser, with more scope to have fun and channel personality. “You can get away with cooler pieces in the city,” says bridal stylist, Rosie Boydell-Wiles. “I’d say veer away from the floral dresses you might wear in a country setting and go for more modern, directional silhouettes. Try a puffed sleeve, an asymmetrical hem, a great suit, a jumpsuit, a corset with a great trouser. You can’t go wrong with a good slip dress and a great pair of sunglasses.”
Eshita Kabra-Davies, founder of rental platform and wedding guest go-to By Rotation, agrees. “For city weddings, depending on the dress code, we’ve noticed an increase in more fashion-forward looks,” she says. “Guests are not afraid to rent more statement pieces, yet still ensure they don’t overshadow the bride. Brands like Victoria Beckham, especially the viral silver, lace-trimmed slip dress worn by VB herself to Brooklyn and Nicola’s wedding, have been a popular rental choice for city weddings.”
A growing number of more accessible brands are also catering for the city mood. There are the three Rs of wedding guest dress labels — Reformation, Réalisation Par, Rat & Boa — which specialise in slinky, vintage-inspired styles. For slightly more grown-up, draped and caped silhouettes, look to the 1970s exuberance of Taller Marmo, the minimalism of Róhe, or the Grecian elegance of Deme. A Bella Freud suit is an investment you could wear again and again, as is a Self-Portrait jumpsuit. But if the budget only stretches to the high street, it’s Mango that is doing the best work this year.
There’s always the chance you might run into another guest wearing the same outfit. Unless, that is, you opt for vintage. For inspiration, look to the recent wedding of hotelier Charles Forte and handbag designer Georgie Wright, whose Sicily wedding saw guests including Adwoa Aboah, Tish Weinstock, Jazzy de Lisser and Lola Bute dressed in acres of vintage lace and embellishment. De Lisser and Bute recently launched their own brand, Debute, which has become a fast favourite among fashion insiders seeking playful slip dresses.
Five fabulous wedding guest pieces
Dressing as a guest can be a minefield. The key for a London marriage is to inject personality — be it a Vivienne Westwood statement or a bright bag from M&S.
M&S Bag, £36, marksandspencer.com
Mango Fringed satin dress, £250, shop.mango.com
Vivienne Westwood Bodice, £495, viviennewestwood.com
Florrie London Mules, £625, florrielondon.com
Bella Freud Jacket, £875, bellafreud.com
Next, the question of shoes. While you likely won’t have to contend with grass for a London wedding, there are other issues to bear in mind. “A lot of London weddings involve moving around a bit,” says Boydell-Wiles. “You might be hopping on a bus to get from one venue to another, so a decent shoe you can walk in is better than stilettos.”
From many years of experience on the front line of tottering around in high heels, I can tell you that the following brands make the most comfortable options: Manolo Blahnik, Malone Souliers, Bobbies and Russell & Bromley (RIP). The out and out winner, however, is Esska, which specialises in easy platform sandals that honestly feel like slippers.
Another name to know is Florrie London, which was founded to bring female-led design (read: more comfortable) to luxury footwear. “I love wearing a trouser suit to a city wedding,” says founder Florence Dowley. “Under a suit trouser I would always go for a pointed toe; I wore our Salon D’Orsay in white leather to a London wedding with a red Gucci trouser suit. Most importantly, all of our styles have 2mm of padding underneath the insole so you can dance all night and not wake up with aching feet the next day.” The brand’s bridal collection is already the choice du jour for fashion editor brides — but why let them have all the fun?
The last thing you need to do is decide which wedding guest handbag camp you want to state your allegiance to: the statement makers (from Cult Gaia, Sensi Studio or, increasingly, M&S) or the classicists (look to Tusting, Anya Hindmarch or Stow London). Picked wisely, the bag will stay in your rotation long after the honeymoon phase is over.
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