What to Wear to a Wedding in DC, Maryland or Virginia

For most weddings in the DC area the answer is a cocktail-length or midi dress in a color that is not white, in a fabric that can survive the humidity, with a shoe you can actually walk on grass or cobblestone in. Washington runs slightly more formal than the national average, Virginia wine country runs more relaxed, and the Maryland waterfront sits somewhere in between.

This is our guide to all three, written from our shop at 5200 Wisconsin Avenue NW. Every dress linked below is in stock as we write this.

What does the dress code on the invitation actually mean?

Four codes cover almost every wedding invitation in this region.

• Cocktail attire. A knee-length, midi or elevated mini dress. This is the most common code in DC and the safest default.
• Semi-formal or dressy casual. The same dress in a softer fabric. A printed midi is perfect here.
• Garden party attire. Print, color, natural fiber, and a heel you can sink into grass without panic.
• Festive. The couple wants color. Take them at their word.

If the invitation says black tie, you need a formal floor-length gown, which is not what we specialize in. We are an occasion and resort boutique, so our strength runs from cocktail down to garden party.

What to wear to a wedding in Washington, DC

City weddings here happen in hotel ballrooms, museums, rooftops and historic townhouses. The room will be air conditioned, the light will be low, and most of the photographs will be taken indoors. Structure and a little shine read better than a soft floral.

• Azulu Drea Dress, $490. Deep navy, embellished halter, figure-hugging mini. The most useful evening dress we carry.
• Lace The Label Selvaya Dress, $600. Black fit-and-flare, the one you keep for five years.
• Lois London Lola Dress, $370. Lace inlays at the waist and hem, and our best value for a city wedding.
• PatBO Iara Dress, $1,195. A crochet mini scattered with embroidered sequins that catches light without glittering.
• Retrofete Ilona Short Dress, $1,998. Handmade gold and silver embroidery, for the wedding where you want to be remembered.

What to wear to a Virginia wine country wedding

Loudoun and Fauquier weddings are outdoors, on grass, in the sun, with a long gap between the ceremony and dinner. Floor length works here in a way it does not in a city ballroom, and warm colors photograph beautifully against the vines.

• Charo Ruiz Amaira Long Dress in cinnamon, $780. Voile and guipure lace, and genuinely easy in heat.
• Charo Ruiz Amaira Long Dress in red ruby, $780. The same cut with more drama.
• Azulu Kansas Dress, $590. Blush, floor length, sculpted sweetheart halter and a midriff cutout.
• Lace The Label Carysia Dress, $980. Plunging neckline and a fluid printed skirt.
• Lace The Label Astrae Dress, $800. A halter maxi with a clean, flowing line.

What to wear to a Maryland waterfront wedding

Annapolis, the Eastern Shore and the Chesapeake all bring wind. Anything strapless will need adjusting all night, and a very lightweight skirt will fight you in photographs. Print also hides the creases that come from a boat or a shuttle ride.

• Lace The Label Calandra Dress, $890. Light blue with a palm-inspired print, airy and forgiving.
• Lace The Label Aqualis Dress, $700. An oceanic print that belongs on the water.
• Azulu Mar Dress, $590. Butter yellow, twisted sweetheart bodice, scalloped asymmetric hem.
• Lois London Merchant Yellow Dress, $390. Breathable cotton and a relaxed cut for a long day.
• Charo Ruiz Blossel Long Dress, $715. Blue arctic voile and lace.

What colors should a wedding guest avoid?

White, ivory, cream and champagne, without exception, unless the couple has asked for them. That includes a printed dress if the print still reads white from across a lawn. Black is now accepted at almost every evening wedding in this city and reads as polished rather than sombre. The color to actually think twice about is whatever the bridesmaids are wearing, because you will be asked to hold flowers in a photograph.

If you are the bride rather than a guest, our guide to bridal shower, rehearsal dinner and bachelorette outfits covers the white-dress side of the wedding.

How do you dress for a DC wedding in August?

Washington in late summer is genuinely difficult. The humidity does not drop after sunset, and most outdoor ceremonies here have no shade at all. Three things help more than anything else.

Buy natural fiber. Linen, cotton and voile move air; polyester does not, and you will know the difference within twenty minutes. The Azulu Zelda Dress, $480, is cut from one hundred percent linen with enough structure to hold its own shape, and the Hemant & Nandita Vama Midi Dress, $628, is a marigold linen-cotton blend built for exactly this weather.

Choose a print over a solid. A solid silk shows every mark; a hand-painted floral does not.

Plan for a twenty degree swing. Ceremony outdoors at four, reception in a room set to sixty-eight. Bring something for your shoulders.

Shoes, cobblestones and getting there

Georgetown is cobblestone, most Virginia venues are grass, and the walk from parking to ceremony is always longer than the invitation suggests. A block heel is the only shoe that works across all three. If the reception is downtown, plan for surge pricing and a slow exit, because weddings here finish at the same time as everything else in the city.

If you would rather see the dresses in person, we are on the second floor at 5200 Wisconsin Avenue NW, and our guide to designer dress shopping in DC explains how the rest of the city is laid out.

Frequently asked questions

What is cocktail attire for a wedding in Washington, DC?

A knee-length, midi or elevated mini dress in any color other than white. Fabric matters more than length in this city because of the humidity, so choose linen, cotton, voile or a structured cotton blend over heavy synthetics.

Can a wedding guest wear black in DC?

Yes. Black is standard at evening weddings across the district and reads as formal rather than sombre. For a daytime garden or vineyard wedding, color or print will serve you better.

How much does a wedding guest dress cost?

Our wedding guest dresses run from $370 to just under $2,000, with most falling between $480 and $800. You can see the full range in Cocktail and Occasions.

Should I wear a long dress or a short dress to a wedding?

Long for outdoor Virginia and Maryland weddings and for anything starting after six o'clock. Short or midi for city ceremonies, daytime weddings, and anywhere you will be standing on grass.

How far ahead should I shop for a wedding guest dress?

Four to six weeks if you might need alterations, which most people do. Designer sizing is inconsistent between labels, our stock is small, and pieces rarely repeat, so the dress you saw last month may not still be there.

Where can I buy a wedding guest dress in Washington, DC?

Signature Edit is at 5200 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Second Floor, Washington, DC 20015. We carry Azulu, Charo Ruiz, Lace The Label, PatBO, Hemant & Nandita, Lois London, Retrofete and Oceanus.