Wedding season is usually between May and October, but you can't put a schedule on love. Anyone can get married at any time of the year, and if you're lucky enough, you'll attend a ceremony in the colder months. While the bride and groom are vital to any successful marital celebration, showing up in your sartorial best is important, too. Finding the right pick out of all the winter wedding-guest dresses out there isn't easy. In fact, it always presents challenges, like avoiding white unless the bride gives permission, or finding that perfect dress that doesn't outshine the main couple. Believe it or not, there are plenty of options to be a stylish guest, especially for a winter ceremony.
Fashion continues to teach us that there are no rules when it comes to formal winter wedding-guest dresses, as more brands trade in cold-weather neutrals for bright colors, rich textures, and even bolder silhouettes. New York Fashion Week's fall 2023 runways showed us that 39 degrees doesn't stand a chance against a good outfit. Ulla Johnson and Brandon Maxwell's collections included elevated leather, and Carolina Herrera revived the color red. Metallics have resurfaced like never before, thanks to designers like Luar and Michael Kors (and Beyonce's "Renaissance" World Tour, of course). Whether you look for a quarter-sleeve or long-sleeve dress for a winter wedding guest, all these trends apply.
Fortunately, these unconventional trends have trickled down to fashion retailers, from your favorite high-end store to your go-to affordable brands. If you're in your quiet-luxury era like Sofia Richie Grainge and Kylie Jenner, brands like Nordstrom and Amazon offer a wide variety of wedding-guest dresses for winter to help you look elegant in the most effortless way. More of a maximalist? Black-owned brands like Hanifa provide wedding-guest dresses for winter that are not only elevated and classy but just as comfortable to wear for hours.
Ahead, we've gathered some of the best winter wedding-guest dresses that are fashion-forward and ideal for dancing and dining all night long. Whether you're searching for a sleek velvet number or a daring sequin gown, keep scrolling to shop our top picks.