What to Wear to a Winter Wedding: The Complete Guest Guide

Black tie: a floor-length gown or a very elegant midi in a luxe fabric.

Formal or cocktail: midi or maxi dresses, or a sharp tuxedo-style suit.

Smart casual or barn wedding: a knitted dress, a satin skirt with cashmere, or tailoring with heeled boots.

Leave the chiffon for summer. Velvet, satin, crepe and fine knits look far more seasonal and hold their shape. Reformation is brilliant for satin slip dresses, and Selfridges has the widest edit of occasionwear if you want to splurge.

Jewel tones are your friend: emerald, sapphire, burgundy, chocolate and deep plum. Metallics and black work too, as long as the bride hasn't said otherwise. And, of course, never white, ivory or cream.

A long tailored coat in camel or black looks elegant over any dress. ME+EM makes beautiful ones. Add a faux-fur stole or a cashmere wrap for the drinks reception, and hide skin-tone thermal layers under longer dresses. John Lewis is great for both.

Country house with lawns? Block heels or heeled boots so you don't sink. City hotel? Strappy heels are fine. Either way, pack a pair of flats for the dance floor.

A small structured clutch big enough for a lipstick, phone and tissues.

One statement piece of jewellery, not three.

A long-wear lip and a mini setting spray for touch-ups.

Hair up or half-up so it survives a windy church step.

Yes, if you want them. The old rule about bare legs at weddings has gone, mostly because nobody wants to stand outside a church in December with goosebumps. Sheer black tights with a dark dress look elegant. Nude tights with lighter colours look neat, as long as they're very sheer and a proper skin match. Wolford is the gold standard and lasts for years. M&S and John Lewis own brand are great value. Pack a spare pair in your clutch. Ladders happen.

White, cream, ivory and anything a reasonable person could mistake for those. Very pale champagne and silver can get close under flash photography, so check them in daylight. All black used to be strictly for funerals. Now it's chic, especially with a bold lip and gold jewellery, but read the room if it's a very traditional family.

Skip anything you can't sit, eat or dance in. Weddings are long, and a dress that needs holding in place gets old by the speeches. If you know the bridesmaids' colour, avoid it. If you don't, ask. Most couples are thrilled you did.

Winter weddings come in clusters, and a new dress for each one adds up fast. Rental apps like By Rotation and HURR let you hire Rixo, Self-Portrait and Ganni for a fraction of the price. Order a week early and try two sizes if you can.

If you'd rather buy, find something you'll wear again at Christmas, a birthday dinner or New Year. Reiss, Whistles and & Other Stories all do occasion dresses that work just as well later with boots and a knit. Want to splash out? The occasionwear edit at Net-a-Porter is the one to scroll.

Winter light is flat and venues are dim, so a little more blush than usual helps in photos. Go waterproof on mascara, because speeches. A long-wear lipstick plus a balm in the clutch beats constant reapplying. And if it's windy, a low bun or sleek ponytail will survive the walk from the car far better than loose waves.

Pack a fold-up umbrella, because December. Flat shoes for the evening, plasters for the morning and a small hairbrush for after the photos. A wrap is your best friend in a draughty marquee or a church that hasn't had the heating on since 1987. And keep your coat check ticket somewhere you'll find it at midnight.

The romantic: burgundy velvet midi, sheer black tights, pointed heels and a long black coat.

The modern: chocolate satin skirt, fine cashmere roll-neck in the same shade, gold earrings.

The sharp: black tuxedo suit, silk camisole, statement earrings and a red lip.