Monday, January 22, 2018

Guest Post :: How to Dress for an Alternative Wedding

I have to confess that I am a pretty traditional person: my favorite fashion icons are Grace Kelly, Jackie Kennedy, Audrey Hepburn, and Coco Chanel. I have a feeling that I would fit right in at a late 1950s dinner party, complete with white dinner gloves an A-line dress. Needless to say that I have always dreamed of a traditional weeding for myself – lace dress, tons of white flowers, married in church, and of course a fun but tasteful reception.

However, the alternative wedding trend keeps growing more and more with each passing year, and you know when Vera Wang hops on board with a trend that it’s going to be around for a while. Even though an alternative wedding isn’t my personal ‘dream wedding’ I still think it would be fun to attend one just for the experience. Obviously you might need to dress a little differently for an alternative wedding. For today’s guest post Peter Minkoff is guest posting and sharing a few words of advice for how to dress for a alternative wedding.
Gone are the days when we had to put our personal interests, affinities and style personas on shelf in order to accommodate the ‘cookie-cutter’ wedding traditions that are filled with white, classic elegance, pastels and glitter. The bold couples who paved the way for alternative weddings are the ones to thank for this new wedding trend heading towards mainstream. We are all different, and it’s high time you reclaim your special day and make it about you again, as opposed to what other people expect your day to be. For the purpose of helping you navigate this still somewhat unexplored territory, we’re taking you on a journey that will help you form specific ideas about yours and your wedding guests’ attire so you can have a day that will be joyful in all aspects.

The focal point
While it’s true that the spotlight has, not so much shifted but rather expanded, and the eyes aren’t only on the bride but the groom as well (deservingly), it still doesn’t change the fact that half of the center stage still belongs to the bride. In the vast universe of white and champagne elegant gowns full of beads and sequins, an alternative bride is a bold bride. Thankfully, the fashion industry paid attention and is now catering to the needs of this type of bride. Vera Wang has paved the way with her line of gorgeous black wedding dresses, each one with more alternative pizzazz than the other. Dresses like these are the epitome of gothic – dark, glamorous, filled with mystery and that elevated goth elegance. However, if you are on the market for something slightly more downsized and subdued, there are tons of dresses out there both red and black, and some of them aren’t even wedding dresses per se, but who cares if they make you feel great in your own skin. It’s time to make a grand entrance your way.
The wedding party
When you’re attending a goth or alternative wedding, respecting and following the theme and the dress code is paramount. You may not be as alternative as the lovebirds tying the knot, but the same wedding rules apply to everyone and honoring the code shows your love and respect for your friends’ choices. Besides, how often do you get to break the ‘no black’ wedding attire etiquette and look stunning in dark hues? Now, there are two ways to go about it – one of them is ‘the easy way’ e.g. picking out a nice and slightly edgy black dress and style it up with goth flair. However, a more creative stylistic solution that will make you fit into the wedding theme perfectly lies in cool gothic costumes. Even if you’re not a goth, you can play dress up for a day, you’ll look stunning and make your friends grateful that you have put in an effort for their big day.

Let’s hear it for the groom
Of course the groom hasn’t been forgotten, after all, he now finally has an equal share of the spotlight. Again, there are two ways to go when picking out a wedding suit. We know that unlike for the brides, there aren’t many alternative suits for men, but all is not lost. One option is to have it custom tailored for you. You can work with an indie designer, pull out some ideas from Pinterest and create a suit that is just ‘you’. The other route is perhaps even more amazing, and involves less work. There are sites that offer both amazing suits – both gothic and steampunk (along with the necessary accessories). There are also amazing separates you can buy and mix and match them according to your taste and preference. There is no doubt that any of these two options will give you the exact look you imagined, and your bride will be swept off her feet once again.

26 comments:

  1. Love your tips, and the fact that you should respect the theme your friends / loved ones wedding in order to select an outfit of choice :)

    Serene | I Am Serene L

    http://www.iamserenel.com

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    1. So happy to see that you enjoyed this guest post!

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  2. Wow such great tips. I've never really been to an alternative wedding, but glad to be prepared in case I ever do get invited! Thanks girly!
    xx, Emily | www.East91blog.com

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    1. I haven't been to an alternative wedding either, but this post Peter did is such a good read!

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  3. Great Tipps! I Love the Guest Posts Lauren. :)

    kisses

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  4. Great post, Audrey Hepburn is my fashion icon.

    http://ohduckydarling.com

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    1. I love Audrey Hepburn, she was so ahead of fashion!

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  5. Hope you have a wonderful week as well!

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  6. Thank! I'll be sure to check you blog out!

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  7. Hey Lauren, I work in hospitality and we really see every theme - vintage to Gothic on Hallo'ween (Groom looked like Johnny Depp with a top hat and cane). We even had someone with a breaking bad theme on the table names (not my cup of tea but hey ho). Even though I am a wedding traditionalist I guess people like the wedding to reflect them, and you wouldn't want it any other way! Great post! Europafox x

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    1. I did that for a little while - I bet you see a lot of fun and interesting things! And I agree people definitely want their wedding to reflect them and that is exactly how it should be! :)

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  8. I´m a traditional woman, love Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn too!

    https://stylettosbyana.blogspot.com.es

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    1. I love both Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn! It really says something about someone when their taste and fashion sense is still reflected in the fashion industry decades later

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  9. Great tips, Lauren! They are very much valuable.

    Funmi xx
    http://funmialabi.co.uk/glam-casual

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  10. Thanks for the tips Lauren. I'm almost always in a long black gown at weddings. Might have to try switch it up at the next wedding i attend.

    http://www.glitsxgrace.com/2018/01/21/managing-afro-hair-wash-day-routine-for-lazies/

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    1. You're welcome! Glad to see you enjoyed this post!

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  11. Love these ideas! x

    www.fromluxewithlove.com
    www.bloglovin.com/blogs/from-luxe-with-love-14590195

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  12. Not gonna lie, dressing for a wedding SERIOUSLY stresses me out, so I loved this post! (Especially since EVERYONE we know is getting married these days!). My favorite sentiment is about respecting the couple's choices and supporting them by dressing on theme. I would honestly love to go to a crazy themed wedding one day!
    Thanks for sharing!

    Susie | http://milehighdreamers.com

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    1. So agree about respecting other peoples choices and going with the theme!

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