Formal fall wedding guest dresses in velvet

Formal fall wedding guest dresses have two jobs, to respect the dress code and to keep you warm between the ceremony and the last dance. Ours are mostly velvet with sleeves, in burgundy, emerald, navy and black. There’s no white here, so the bride keeps her color.

Velvet to the floor when the invitation says formal

A long dress answers a strict dress code fastest. Our burgundy velvet one reaches the floor, bares the shoulders, stops its sleeves at three-quarter length and opens in a leg slit, so it’s long without being stiff. Since the shoulders are already the decoration, leave the necklace in the box and put a bracelet on the free wrist.

What about shoes? Thin heels. They show in the slit with each step, and the extra height keeps you from stepping on the hem.

The navy velvet gown has soft draping across open shoulders, and in warm light the blue turns close to ink. Like your arms covered? An emerald maxi with full-length sleeves and a leg slit does that. Try any of the three on with the heels you plan to wear. You’ll see right away whether the length is right.

Midi velvet for an afternoon ceremony with family

Not every formal wedding needs a gown. A burgundy velvet midi with a plain round neckline and full sleeves is festive and modest at once, which helps when older relatives share your table. On dense velvet the burgundy goes deep, almost like wine. Because the top is closed, you can be bolder with gold earrings.

The emerald midi is a wrap, the easiest fit among our formal fall wedding guest dresses. Its V-neck is shallow, and its belt cinches as snugly as you want. Knot it right at your natural waist, and the front stays smooth.

One fitting tip from us. Velvet doesn’t stretch the way a knit does, so lift both arms and take a seat in it before deciding. If shimmer suits the couple’s evening better, a blue lurex-knit wrap midi catches the candlelight, and its knit won’t press at dinner.

Coats, wraps and the walk from the car in October

Outdoor photos are part of the day. Over a maxi, choose a coat long enough to pass your knees, or the hem will stick out underneath. A shawl or a straight coat is safer over the draped gown, since neither will crush the folds. With a midi, knee-high boots nearly meet the hem on a frosty day. Carry the pumps in a bag.

Cold-season styles come back to our catalog with the weather, so give yourself time to check the size chart before the invitation’s date gets close. We cut all our formal fall wedding guest dresses in XS to XL. More to compare in all autumn picks for guests, formal guest styles for any month, velvet for weddings and floor-length options.