How to Feel Like "You" at a Wedding

Whether you're a bride, groom, or guest.

Jun 05, 2025

What is it about weddings that can make us throw out everything we’ve developed in our personal styles? That can have us reaching for a floral floaty dress, when we’d turn in the opposite direction from said item on any other day of the year? That can have us dropping multiple figures on pieces that we’re told we should wear, only to feel uncomfortable on the day, and full of regret when we look back at the pictures?

Weddings, quite unlike any other life occasion, can have us completely second-guessing what we should wear. There’s so much content out there that tells us this is how a bride/mother of the bride/bridesmaid/guest should look. There are rules. There are dress codes. There are viral Instagram posts.

It can be overwhelming, and even those who seem so sure in their style can have a wobble when a wedding invitation slips through their letterbox — or when they’re planning one of their own.

It’s something I’m going through myself at the moment. My wedding is in just a few months, and my diary is peppered with other friends’ nuptials too. I’ve felt all the feels when it’s come to styling. On one end of the scale: confident, happy and excited about my choices. On the other: am I doing enough? Will other people like it? Should I go down a different route?

I keep reminding myself that this is completely normal, and bringing myself back to “me”. What do I like? How do I want to feel?

This overwhelm and feeling of “should” when it comes to weddings is something I’ve chatted about with fellow Substacker and stylist

Camilla

of Ask A Stylist. So we jumped on Substack Live and chatted about how to retain a sense of self in the lead-up to a wedding, whether that’s as a bride, a member of the bridal party or a guest. Camilla spoke about how the dress she wore to her wedding went wrong — and how other brides can avoid dress disasters. I talked through how I found my dress. And we talked about being sustainably-minded when it comes to wedding wardrobes.

You can watch the full video below, or take a look at the timecodes to jump to the bits that interest you most.

Timecodes

0:00 : How I found my wedding dress

11:20 : The importance of venue when deciding on styling

13:30 : Is timelessness a myth?

14:44 : The bigger picture of styling

17:50 : Dress codes and why it’s absolutely fine to re-wear outfits as a guest

22:37 : Beauty prep

27:21 : How Camilla’s wedding dress went wrong

33:00 : How to create a mindful (not wasteful) wedding wardrobe

36:29 : Our thoughts on bridesmaid dresses

40:32 : More thoughts on guest dressing

Beauty products mentioned

Currentbody LED mask*. I use mine 3-5 times a week and have noticed a reduction in my dark circles and blemishes since I started using it. You only need to use it for 10 minutes, so it’s quite easy to bring it into your routine. I have the Series 1 mask, but the Series 2 mask is a good (if slightly more expensive) option if you want it to cover your chin too. Use code ANGHARAD10 for 10% off.
ZIIP Halo*. A facial toning device that actually works — I use mine a few times a week on the days when I want a little lift and glow. Code ANGHARAD will get you 10% off.