This year’s brides are not just getting married—they’re rewriting the rules of what it means to throw a fashion-forward wedding. I spoke to several women working in the fashion industry who are currently deep in planning mode for the most stylish celebrations of 2025. From dreamy venues to meticulous dress codes, they all had strong opinions on what guests should and shouldn’t wear—and I was surprised to hear that the one thing they all agreed upon was this simple. TL;DR: Don’t be boring.
Forget the fear of wearing black or the outdated anxiety around showing too much skin. These brides are here to clear the air on what’s appropriate, what’s outdated, and how to show up as your most confident (and chicest) self. Whether you’re attending a wedding at a palace or a countryside ceremony, their etiquette edits will help you stand out—for all the right reasons.
Morgan Evans, Fashion and Culture Editor
This bride is encouraging… dressing for the venue
And discouraging… confusing dress codes
“One of my biggest pet peeves at a wedding is when people underdress for formal or black-tie weddings. I don’t think there’s such a thing as being too overdressed for a wedding. It is a formal celebration, after all, but it’s really frustrating when people show up in mini or midi dresses that lean toward more casual cocktail attire. I also think the venue makes a huge difference as well. If you’re having a beachside wedding, then it’s probably better for guests to show up in a ‘casual cocktail’ with easy linen suits and breezy dresses. But as a 2025 bride who is getting married at an old palace estate, my wedding dress code is black-tie attire, meaning tuxedos and gowns, because I want people to look and feel as glamorous as the venue. And to avoid any confusion, I detailed that women should be in ‘tea or floor-length’ ensembles. I also refrained from saying ‘maxi dress’ because people can also misinterpret that as any dress that touches the floor and show up in a jersey or knit maxi dress that is much too casual for the event. Just because it’s long doesn’t mean it’s formal.”
“Another general wedding dress code I don’t love is ‘black tie optional.’ And again, I think for a more casual wedding, it’s fine, but if you are having a formal wedding and you want everyone look more uniform, then you should probably steer away from the ‘optional’ theme because then you end up getting an array of everything from men in an assortment of different suits and tuxedos to women in a mix of short and long cocktail dresses. … Nothing ends up being cohesive, and everyone looks dressed to go to different places, which isn’t elegant and leaves people wondering what the dress code really is.” — Evans
