Cracking the Wedding Guest Code

The brief for a wedding guest is genuinely difficult: be photographed all day, in unpredictable weather, in front of people you may never see again, without competing with anyone at the top of the aisle.

Begin with the ground. Grass, cobbles, sand and gravel each rule out an entire category of shoe. Choose the shoe first and build upward — this single reversal solves most wedding outfit disasters before they happen.

Then consider the hours. Ceremonies are cool, dinners are warm, dancing is hot, and the last hour outside is cold again. A slip dress with a fine knit or a tailored jacket handles all four; a strapless gown handles one.

On colour: white is out, and so is anything that photographs as white. Beyond that, be braver than you think. Deep green, terracotta, dusk blue and chocolate all sit beautifully in a group photograph, where black flattens and pastels wash out.

One good accessory, one good lipstick, and a bag that closes. The most stylish guest at any wedding is the one who is not adjusting anything.