Wedding guest colors: what to wear to a wedding
Do not wear white, read the dress code, and pick a color that suits you. Below: the colors guests avoid, what each dress code means, and the best day and evening colors for each of the 12 color seasons.
By Jane MitchellCertified color analystPublished
The short answer
- Do not wear white, ivory or cream. At most Western weddings, they are the bride’s colors.
- Read the invitation for a dress code or a color theme.
- Wear lighter colors at a daytime wedding and deeper colors in the evening.
- If you know the bridesmaids’ color, pick a different one.
- Black is usually fine at an evening or formal wedding. By day, a color is the better choice.
Colors to avoid as a wedding guest
White and anything close to it: ivory, cream, very pale champagne, and a light silver that looks white in photos. A print on a mostly white background counts too. If the bridesmaids wear one color, stay away from it so you are not mistaken for one of them.
Customs differ. At many Chinese and Indian weddings, red is the bride's color, so guests do not wear it. At many Indian weddings, guests also avoid white and black, and bright colors are welcome. When the couple names a color theme, follow it.
What the dress codes mean
| Dress code | Women | Men |
|---|---|---|
| White tie | A floor-length evening gown | A tailcoat with a white bow tie |
| Black tie | A floor-length gown or a very formal cocktail dress | A tuxedo |
| Black tie optional, or formal | A long gown or an elegant cocktail dress | A tuxedo or a dark suit and tie |
| Cocktail | A knee-length or midi dress, or a dressy jumpsuit | A suit and tie |
| Semi-formal, or dressy casual | A dress, or a skirt or smart trousers with a nice top | A suit or a blazer, tie optional |
| Casual | A sundress or smart separates | Trousers and a shirt with a collar, no tie |
The best wedding guest colors for your season
Up to three colors for a daytime wedding and three for the evening, from each season's own palette. The skip line names the near-whites in that palette, which are too close to the bride's white.
By day
- Apple green#8FCB6B
- Coral#FF8A6B
- Warm rose#FFA6BE
In the evening
- Soft denim navy#5C6B8A
- Light taupe#9E8C74
- Cornflower#5FAEDB
Skip: ivory.
By day
- Bright tangerine#F4511E
- Chartreuse#C0CA33
- Camellia#F06292
In the evening
- Terracotta#D84315
- Warm pink#EC407A
- Warm violet#7E57C2
Skip: cream.
By day
- Bright orange#FF3D00
- Vivid green#64DD17
- Vivid gold#FFC400
In the evening
- Bright violet#651FFF
- Bright fuchsia#F50057
- True bright blue#2979FF
Skip: bright ivory.
By day
- Soft raspberry#C2739A
- Soft denim#6C97BF
- Pale citron#D6D9A8
In the evening
- Soft plum#8E7C9E
- Soft navy#4A5C78
- Rose pink#D98BA5
Skip: soft white.
By day
- Cool lavender#9575CD
- Dusty pink#C97B9B
- Teal blue#4A8FA8
In the evening
- Rose red#D81B60
- Cool blue#3F6FA8
- Soft plum#7E5A82
Skip: soft white.
By day
- Dusty rose#C08497
- Soft mauve#B08BA5
In the evening
- Soft berry#A5677A
- Dusty lilac#8E7C9E
- Muted plum#8F5F6E
Skip: soft white.
By day
- Soft terracotta#C4705C
- Soft gold#C4A76A
- Sage green#87905F
In the evening
- Muted rust#B5654A
- Soft mulberry#A86F7E
- Olive#6E7D5B
Skip: soft cream.
By day
- Goldenrod#DAA520
- Warm coral clay#C97B5C
- Amber#D9A066
In the evening
- Rust#C1440E
- Olive#808000
- Warm plum#A0637C
Skip: warm cream.
By day
- Deep amber#B9770E
- Burnt amber#C0703C
- Dark camel#A08963
In the evening
- Tomato red#A93226
- Dark mustard#9A7D0A
- Deep plum#6C3483
Skip: warm cream.
By day
- Icy pink#F8BBD0
- Icy lavender#E1BEE7
In the evening
- True red#B71C1C
- Sapphire#0D47A1
- Magenta wine#880E4F
Skip: pure white.
By day
- Bright sapphire#0091EA
- Cool emerald#00BFA5
- Cool turquoise#00B8D4
In the evening
- Vivid purple#AA00FF
- True red#D50000
- Cool fuchsia#C51162
Skip: icy lavender white, pure white, icy white.
By day
- Vivid green#00E676
- Bright rose#FF4081
- Bright sapphire#00B0FF
In the evening
- Bright violet#651FFF
- Electric red#FF1744
- Vivid azure#2979FF
Skip: pure white, bright ice.
For more shades with hex codes, see the pink color palette and the green color palette. Other dress codes, the same idea: what to wear to a funeral and what to wear for a passport photo. Before the wedding, see what to wear to a bridal shower.
How we picked the colors
Each season card reads that season's own palette and neutrals on this site, 300 named colors across the 12 seasons, measured in CIELAB: lightness (L*), chroma (C*, how strong the color is) and hue angle. A shade is on the card when it is clear colors (C* 20 or more), at least 35° of hue apart so they read as three different colors. By day: light to mid (L* 55 to 87). In the evening: deep (L* 25 to 55); a light season with fewer than two gets its deepest shades with C* 15 or more.
The skip line lists every shade close to white (L* 88 or more with C* under 15): white, ivory, cream and the palest tints. Where a palette has too few shades that far apart in hue, the gap narrows to half, then to 12°. No color is typed by hand, and no brand or store is used. The same rule runs on every season, so two cards can be compared.
What this page cannot do
This page lists guest colors from each season's palette. It cannot tell you which season you are, and it cannot know the couple's wishes: the invitation and the wedding website can. Our free analysis reads your season from one selfie, in your browser, and gives you your own palette.
How this is different from other color analysis tools
- 01
Your photo stays on your device
Many photo apps upload your selfie and read it on their server (see our comparison). Ours measures it in your browser. There is no upload.
- 02
The result is free
Your season and palette, with no account and no email. At least one app in our comparison takes payment before you see any result.
- 03
A close call says so
Every result names the runner-up season and how close the call was. Borderline is a result we print.
- 04
We publish our accuracy
We tuned the method on faces that experts had labelled by season, then tested it on 410 celebrity photos we collected. The results, misses included.
Questions
What colors should you not wear to a wedding?
White, ivory, cream and other near-whites, unless the couple asks for them. At many Chinese and Indian weddings, red is the bride’s color, so guests avoid it, and at many Indian weddings guests also avoid black and white.
Can I wear black to a wedding?
At most evening and formal weddings, yes. At a daytime wedding, a color is usually the better choice. At many Indian weddings, guests avoid black.
What is the best color to wear to a wedding?
The one that suits you and fits the time of day. For example, a True Autumn can wear goldenrod by day and rust in the evening, and a True Winter bright sapphire by day and vivid purple in the evening. This page lists five or six for each of the 12 seasons.
Can I wear a light pastel to a wedding?
Yes, if it clearly reads as a color. A very pale pastel can look white in photos, so check it in daylight next to something white before the day.
What you can do on this page
This page gives the usual rules for a wedding guest outfit: the colors to avoid (white and near-whites, and red, black or white at many Chinese and Indian weddings) and what each dress code means for women and men. It then lists, for each of the 12 color seasons, up to three daytime and three evening guest colors from that season's palette with hex codes, picked by a stated CIELAB rule, and the near-whites of that palette to leave at home. The free photo analysis finds a season from one selfie in the browser, with no upload and no account.