16 Fall Wedding Guest Dresses You'll Love

Love is in the air. Here's what to wear.

fall wedding dresses
(Image credit: KAT IRLIN)

The Cocktail Party Wedding

Unlike 2020, when nuptials were few and far between, 2021 is turning out to be a big year on the wedding circuitIf your refrigerator is brimming with save the dates, finding the perfect dress for your wedding guest debut is obviously top of mind. Swapping sweatpants for ballgowns can be a bit of a shock, so you'll want to find something that ticks both the comfort and style boxes. Whether you're attending a rescheduled 200-person affair or a more intimate micro-wedding, finding the right dress doesn't have to spiral you into full-on panic mode. Ahead we've got options that will have you looking so good, you'll practically upstage the bride.

The Courthouse Wedding

With a spike in city hall marriages over the past year, it's plausible that you'll be invited to an intimate gathering at the marriage bureau. While there are no hard and fast rules on what to you have to wear, a sophisticated midi-dress style will ensure you rise to the occasion.

The Courthouse Wedding

(Image credit: KAT IRLIN)

The Courthouse Wedding

(Image credit: KAT IRLIN)

The Dresses

The Black Tie Wedding

Don't panic when the wedding invite says "black tie attire." Evening wear can be fun without being fussy. Invest in a neutral color combination (like black and white) that you can repeat wear for other formal functions.

The Dresses

The Garden Party Wedding

Be one with your surroundings in a floral printed dress that you can pair with a cardigan or light jacket for crisp fall days. For outdoor weddings set in the grass, opt for a flat or wedge shoe to avoid sinking.

The Dresses

The Cocktail Party Wedding

Choosing a shorter ensemble will ensure you can dance the night away. Toast to the new couples in something out-of-the-box, like a plaid, bow-embellished dress or a pearl spaghetti strap number.

The Dresses

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Sara Holzman
Style Director

Sara Holzman is the Style Director for Marie Claire, where she's worked alongside the publication for eight years in various roles, ensuring the brand's fashion content continues to inform, inspire, and shape the conversation about fashion's ever-evolving landscape. With a degree from the Missouri School of Journalism, Sara is responsible for overseeing a diverse fashion content mix, from emerging and legacy designer profiles to reported features on the influence of social media on style and seasonal and micro trends across the world's fashion epicenters in New York, Milan, and Paris. Before joining Marie Claire, Sara held fashion roles at Conde Nast's Lucky Magazine and Self Magazine and was a style and travel contributor to Equinox's Furthermore website. Over her decade of experience in the fashion industry, Sara has helped guide each brand's style point of view, working alongside veteran photographers and stylists to bring editorial and celebrity photo shoots to fruition from start to finish. Sara currently lives in New York City. When she's not penning about fashion or travel, she’s at the farmer’s market, on a run, working to perfect her roasted chicken recipe, or spending time with her husband, dog, and cat. Follow her along at @sarajonewyork