Season of Love — The Wardrobe

There is a big difference between the perfect dress, and the perfect dress for you.

Wedding season, it's a fun time full of long nights, sunny days and beautiful venues, mixing and mingling with friends and family. But before you arrive, there is always the often panicked question of what to wear. It's one of the few occasions in Kiwi-dom that we can really embrace dressing up, but what does that look like? I cover the basics on need-to-know wedding season outfits below...

For me, I'm all about class. I like to be feminine and a little cute, but mostly just classy. This outfit I chose for a family wedding, the morning of the date! [That's how I roll, in chaotic fashion]. Pagani had me covered almost head to toe. I settled on this red scallop overlay dress with matching diamante accessories. I paired this look with my favourite princess flats from Kmart. Keep in mind these were from the girl's section [That's why they're so damn cute] so you will only be able to grab a pair if you're size 8 shoe or under. Less is more, so no bracelets or other clunky accessories cluttering this delicate look for me. I love the aesthetic of this look, but it's great for weddings because of a few practical factors that are worth keeping in mind when you're shopping for your next look.

I picked out this dress for a few reasons. 1. It's not going to blow up in the wind. This might sound pretty amusing, but many Kiwi wedding venues are beautiful and exposed to the wind and weather. Having a dress that's short and flares out from the hip can expose you to the potential of having more than one wardrobe mishap... I look for fitted skirts, a straighter cut, or a heavier fabric. 2. It has sleeves. I am not alone in that I always worry about my arms, and this style is great because it has little sleeves, giving me confidence! Dressing to your body is a bit like economics, put more investment into finding garments that give you a good return - or rather that they flatter your assets, and hide or disguise the parts of your body you aren't as confident about. 3. It's not white. I like to stand out, so I dress accordingly. But there is nothing worse than being seen as competing with the bride, and the lace gives this dress a luxe aesthetic, while being in a colour that definitely won't look like I'm jumping on the bride train... 4. It's damn PRACTICAL. Nothing worse than working your way through a farm or country field, intrepid journey style in stilettos. We should feel beautiful, but not at the expense of our health or sanity. Always opt for flats or small heels at weddings, unless you're going to be inside, at a church or inner city venue. The lace border at the top of the dress makes a good cover for that food baby you know you're also gonna roll out of there with at the end of the night too, so don't forget to dress for fun!

In terms of makeup and hair, this will be different for everyone. I chose a straightened hair look, with one side pulled back so it doesn't get all up in my face! If you're going for an outside venue, a half up and down style can work really well, or a cute bun with an accessory like a hair flower can be equally as practical. Inside venues are the time for curls and more intricate styles. If you're like me, my hair loses it's curl outside within a short period of time so dress for the weather and wind too. I went for a red lip, and red glossy eye makeup as it photographs well, plus it feeds my OCD matching obsession. If you've got blue eyes, your eye makeup could easily also work well in copper or bronze shades, which would be a bit more low-key, paired with a pink based nude lip. The easiest order to decide your outfit for me would be the dress, then the shoes, then the accessories and then your makeup and hair. The best mall shops for wedding attire? Pagani, H&M, Forever New, and Portmans.