33 of the Best Winter Wedding Guest Dresses That’ll Keep You Warm But Still Looking Chic

Our fashion editors have tried and tested the best dresses for your next event.

winter wedding guest dresse

by Julia Harvey |
Updated on

Though summer wedding ceremonies might be the norm, there's something decidedly charming about a winter wedding. It does, of course, mean finding a winter-appropriate wedding guest dress for the occasion because the square-necked linen styles or ditsy-printed florals you might have worn during the warmer months, or even autumn, won't cut the mustard in a cold-weather setting when a warm wedding guest outfit is necessary.

Depending on your budget, there are plenty of options across the high-street, mid-range brands and beyond, plus plenty of petite and plus-size options. Reformation's collection of occasion-ready dresses spans everything from silk floor-length gowns to elegant minis. Nobody's Child, meanwhile, has an occasion dress section that has any number of balloon-sleeved, satin or bow-embellished dresses that would be guaranteed to turn heads for all the right reasons at your next winter wedding. 'An occasion dress is an investment piece,’ explains Jody Plows, CEO of Nobody’s Child. 'Look for classic shapes that can be dressed up or down and are unlikely to date’.

While summer wedding guest dresses are all about pastels and colour, the colder months present an opportunity to lean into darker hues. For winter wedding guest dresses, think navy, emerald, maroon and even black wedding guest dresses, perfect for any upcoming winter celebration that you're planning on attending. Many people avoid wearing black to weddings but as someone who wears black often, a black wedding guest dress can look super chic and you're guaranteed to wear it again and again! Add a wedding hair accessory if you want to ensure your outfit is as occasion appropriate as possible.

Next up look for styles with a little more coverage, long sleeves and long hems will help keep you warm in the winter months. If you’re into shorter hemlines, then balance it out with long sleeves and don’t be afraid to layer. Stealth thermals e.g. a thermal base-layer under your long-sleeved dress or even a pair of leggings under a maxi dress are both easy ways to feel snug but look stylish.

Grazia's Best Winter Wedding Guest Dresses 2024, Our Shortlist:

Best Overall Dress: Nobody's Child Emerald Green Balloon-Sleeve Zora Midi Dress

Best Affordable Dress: Zara Print Dress

Best Investment Dress: Me+Em Silk-Blend Velvet Maxi Dress

Best Short Dress: & Other Stories Ruffled Mini Dress

Best Maxi Dress: LK Bennett Lucie Black & Ivory Polka Dot Ruffle Maxi Dress

Shop: The Best Winter Wedding Guest Dresses Of 2024

Best Short-Sleeved Velvet

Omnes is second to none when it comes to affordable dresses with sustainable credentials, like this sleeveless velvet number.

Best Ruched Jersey

A jersey dress that you take from an 8 to a 10 with a studded pair of ballet pumps, say, or a statement clutch.

Best Subtle Metallic

Ghost has a wealth of wedding guest dresses that are winter-appropriate, including this shirred number.

Best Two-In-One

I love the contrast between this dress's velvet top half and taffeta bottom half.

Best Sequinned Mini

Hobbs's dress will tempt the most sequin-adverse of wedding guests.

Best Column Dress

There's nothing garden-variety about this column dress from Monsoon.

Best Bronze

Jigsaw's bronze draped dress is the best way to do metallics.

Best XL Sleeves

Nobody's Child has a brilliant range of occasionwear dresses like this balloon-sleeved number in emerald.

Best Red

Fire red is always a fun colour to wear during the colder months.

A black wedding guest dress is fair game in 2024. Massimo Dutti's elegant satin take gets our vote.

Best Winter Florals

Zara's moody take on florals is perfect for a cold-weather wedding (and hello sleeves!).

Best Print

A Rixo print is a one-way-ticket to standing out for all the right reasons at a winter wedding.

Best Pattern

This halter-neck silk dress makes a very convincing case for polka dots (and would definitely help you ace a black tie dress code).

Best Velvet

Me+Em's maxi dress is one of the best velvet options on the market.

Best Tank Dress

Stine Goya's poppy-print midi dress could easily be dressed up with platform sandals and red lipstick.

No one does elegant column gowns quite like Galvan.

Best For Black Tie

Ganni's velvet dress can double as your party season plus one.

Best Winter-Appropriate Sheer

M&S comes up trumps with this demure take on sheer.

Best Ruffles

Polka dots always do the rounds during race season but don't discount them for weddings. LK Bennett's ruffled take gets our vote.

Best Bodycon

Karen Millen Jersey Crepe Embellished Rosette Midi Dress
Price: $70 (was £139)

www.karenmillen.com

For a city wedding during the winter months, Karen Millen's corsage-trimmed cocktail dress is The One.

Jewel tones work a treat in the winter months - and this emerald is everything.

Best Embellished

For a cool take on crystals, look to this slip dress from J.Crew.

Best Green

The peekaboo sleeves give this dress a tantalising hint.

Best Waterfall Hem

Instead of ditsy florals, opt instead for a blown-up print like this black-and-red number by Phase Eight.

Best Red Mini

For a festive-adjacent wedding, you couldn't do better than this berry-coloured mini.

Best Coquette

Sister Jane is the queen of coquette-style dresses - and this bow-trimmed, ice blue number is the dream.

Best Metallic

This structural plissé gown will guarantee you make an entrance.

Best Razzle Dazzle

Gold sequins make this silk-trimmed midi a moment.

Best Florals But Not Florals

Jersey becomes wedding-appropriate in the hands of Magda Butrym.

Best Colour Combo

Nanushka's fine-knit maxi dress with its psychedelic colour palette will blow any floral out of the water.

Best Twist On A Classic

Put a twist on tartan with this high-necked dress from Boden.

Julia Harvey is the Shopping Editor for Grazia UK for the past two and a half years, overseeing and editing all things shopping for the title from trend pages, gift guides and the best things to buy now in both print and online.

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