What You Should Never Wear to a Wedding

Getting dressed for a wedding is tricky. There’s the pressure to look amazing (hello, photo booth) while simultaneously navigating the ever-changing rules of outfit etiquette. Rather than attempt the opinion-laden terrain ourselves, we figured we’d call in an expert to lay down some ground rules. Enter bridal expert Melissa Coker. Scroll down for Coker’s definitive list of what you should never wear to a wedding, and then shop our picks for what you should.

Thou shall not…

“This is not P. Diddy’s annual White Party. It’s your friend/family member/frenemy’s wedding, and you have seven million other colors chilling in your closet anyway. So just be cool and choose something else.” — Melissa Coker

Instead, try a fun print.

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PHOTO: Edward Berthelot/Getty

Thou shall not…

“I get it. Your friend’s super cool; her wedding’s on the beach/in a barn/in Canada. But c’mon—it’s not cute and casual. It’s just bad manners.” — Melissa Coker

Instead, try wide-leg trousers and a fancy blouse.

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PHOTO: Stockholm Street Style

Thou shall not…

“If it looks like something Jennifer Lopez would wear on tour, it’s probably out of bounds for your colleague’s wedding.” — Melissa Coker

Instead, keep it sophisticated with a color-block dress.

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PHOTO: Tuula Vintage

Thou shall not…

“Some people are like, Black = sad death—you’re a jerk while other people are like, Stop being soold-fashioned—black is cool and for modern chic types. It’s hard to say who is right, and it probably depends on the type of wedding you’re going to and what the groom and bride are all about.” — Melissa Coker