The dos and don’ts of dressing for weddings

• DO dress up. Two people have invited you to witness and honour their marriage vows: that’s huge. The least you can do is look glamorous and decorative in their wedding album.

• DO wear something upbeat. A wedding is a celebration of love. Asymmetric, experimental Belgian tailoring in charcoal felt does not send the right message.

• DON’T wear anything too obviously foxy. You’re there to applaud and cheerlead, not to try and steal the limelight. Too much cleavage, too short, too tight etc looks unsisterly and attention-seeking.

• DO read the invitation closely for dress code and dress code clues. An evening reception in a city restaurant requires a totally different look from an afternoon in a country church.

• DON’T get hung up on traditions. If you have fallen in love with a black and white saucer hat that you fear may outshine the mother of the bride, wear it!

• DO go ahead and ask the bride, or one of her close friends, if you’re unsure if they’d mind you wearing white. Some brides do, some don’t – if you’re not sure, check. Do not, however, leave this call until the morning of the wedding when the inner-circle will be, shall we say, a bit busy. 

• DON’T forget to think about what you wear over the dress. You need a wedding-appropriate coat or jacket. Most weddings involve a fair bit of standing around outside and there’s no point wearing a gorgeous dress if it ends up hidden under a dreary coat.

• DO try the outfit on before you leave home if you’re going to be getting ready in a hotel. Check that the outfit works and that you have the right underwear etc. The Saturday morning I spent trying to find a nude strapless bra in Anglesey is etched on my memory, and not in a good way.

• DO take a safety pin in your bag. There’s always someone at a wedding who needs a safety pin. Be that nice person who comes to the rescue.