Tackling: Shopping for a Black Tie Wedding

It’s been a long time since I’ve searched the internet in a frenzy to find the perfect outfit for a dressy occasion. Usually it’s for my birthday, which I equate to being my own personal version of the Oscar’s (and it sets me up for disappointment most of the time). However, my friend Natasha’s wedding is coming up at the end of April and she just recently informed me that the wedding will be a black tie event. So, in eager anticipation I have taken to the internet to find the perfect gown.

Here are some of my top picks:

Falling For You Taupe Maxi Dress $89

This dress from Lulu’s is so soft and romantic. I love the taupey color, the draped sleeves, and the full skirt which cascades beautifully.

Zenith Navy Blue Lace Maxi Dress $88

This dress, also from Lulu’s, would make my top five if my friend Nicole, didn’t plan on wearing something similar. It’s actually a moot point however, as they’re sold out in anything remotely close to my size. This dress is so sleek and cut just right to give you that slender silhouette. I love the scalloped bodice, the high neckline and thin straps, and the black ribbon sash tucking the waist in.

Evening Dreaming Rusty Rose Lace Maxi Dress $84

This Lulu’s exclusive dress looks heavenly. The cap sleeves, the romantic silhouette — something is very Romeo and Juliette about it to me. However, on a different model I was able to see that the dress itself is sheer and the maxi skirt is see through, with a shorter skirt underneath.

Not loving it so much here. But I noticed again, this is a dress that is sold out in my size.

Make Way for Wonderful Berry Red Lace Maxi Dress $77

This glamorous dress would also make my top five if the bride herself hadn’t shot it down as an option. Strictly speaking this dress does not count as a floor length gown because of the mini dress which you can see in the front. But how amazing is this? The plunging neckline, the color and lace/chiffon, not to mention the sexy slit which exposes a little leg. So beautiful.

For Infinity Burgundy Strapless Maxi Dress $84

This is another gown that caught my eye while browsing Lulu’s, except I liked it best in a navy blue color that is no longer in stock. Lovely and slender, it has a fitted bodice, lightly padded cups, sweetheart neckline, and a flared mermaid skirt. I’m not crazy about mermaid skirts but it looks nice here.

ASOS has bridal down pat. It seems as though the brand TNFC has an entire bridal collection of dresses that go perfectly with a bridal/bridesmaid theme. The dresses shown below are not all TNFC, but many of them are.

TNFC Wedding High Neck Maxi Dress With Bow Back $83

I loooved the back of this dress, but once I clicked to view more, I didn’t like the front very much. Still, I could see myself coming around, as I still like the straight, The A-line cut, color, and romantic feel to this dress.

Kate Lace Embellished Trim Maxi Dress $106

I love the Great Gatsby vintage feel this dress has going on, and just how romantic, demure, and soft it looks. From the baby pink color to the sheer lacy fluttery sleeves, this dress is the picture of grace and elegance. The full cascading floor-length skirt is beautiful, and the embellished waistband ties everything together. This dress is a very high contender in my list of top picks.

Maya V Neck Maxi Tulle Dress with Tonal Delicate Sequins $128

Can we all take a collective second to breathe in? This stunning dress is beautiful! It makes my top five for sure, I mean, how could it not? The bead and sequin embellished gold top, the blush lined skirt… so gorgeous. Actually, I just checked their website – it’s only available in a U.S. size 10 now 🙁 So much for this option.

TFNC Wedding V Front Maxi Dress with Frill Sleeves $83

Blush blush blush. I can’t get enough of this color. This dress has a very flowy, romantic silhouette to it that’s just lovely. However I’not one hundred percent decided on this one. Something about the top and neckline I don’t quite like, and I’m on the fence about whether I like the sleeves or whether it’s a little too much.

ASOS knocks it out of the park when it comes to product photos. Several of the dresses’ product pages include a group photo modeling several dresses at once to give a feel for how they might like in combination, like for a group of bridesmaids. These dresses are so complimentary to one another, are perfectly neutral, and executed excellently for bridal wear.

Maya Bardot Maxi Dress With Delicate Sequin and Tulle Skirt $128

How cute is this option? It looks similar to the dress above, but they are different. This dress looks to be made out of lighter fabric and has a wide-cut boatneck. I can actually see this being mini-sized and perfect for a little flower girl to wear haha. It’s beautiful 🙂

Love this photo styling three differently sized models with closely matching versions of the same dress.

How gorgeous is the dress the plus-sized model is modeling on the left? Her dress is my favorite of these three (although I am wondering how I can get my hands on the slinky nude number in the middle…)

TFNC Wedding Multiway Maxi Dress in Sheen $83

What a dress! This sheeny satin number is a multiway dress that comes with two long straps which can be worn in multiple ways. I’m not crazy about the middle or right, but I like the left. This dress is mostly here for the fact that it’s blush and sheeny though. Haha

TFNC Wedding Multiway Maxi Dress (Green) $76

This is the same dress but in a different fabric and color and I actually didn’t realize that until just now. Anyway, I like the one shoulder look and the dress seems to flow quite beautifully over the natural curve of the body, but after watching the video it kind of looks like a toga. So this one is nice in theory but probably a no-go.

TFNC Wedding Pleated Maxi Dress with Back Detail $83

Now this dress is more understated than the others but it has a nice simplicity to it. I like that for the most part, it flows straight down, but has a couple of details that highlight different parts of the body like the leg and the neckline. The back of the dress is pretty as well.

ASOS Maya Petite Off Shoulder Frill Sequin Maxi Dress $113

This dress looks pretty at an angle but front-on I don’t like it very much. Luckily, ASOS has that amazing “video” feature where they include a 5-10 second clip of the model moving in it so you can see what it really looks like. Still, it’s a nice bridal option and I really like the tan/blush color, so that’s why I included it.

TFNC Wedding Bandeu Maxi Dress $68

This is another very pretty understated, simple option. It would work beautifully for a bridesmaid at a beach wedding. I love strapless bandeau tops, whether it’s on a bikini or a dress, so this was an instant attraction for me. The price point is also great. However, when watching the video the shape is a little odd. It doesn’t look as nicely tailored.

TFNC Wedding Embellished Maxi Dress with Embellished Strappy Back $113

This dress reminds me of the quintessential cut-out dress everyone had at my high school prom. However, this one is far more tasteful and elegant. I love the embellished strappy back and I like how the dress looks from the side too. I’m undecided on how I feel about the top portion of the dress, but I do like it enough to possibly order it and return.

TFNC Wedding Sateen Bow Back Maxi Dress $76

TFNC does the most beautiful job of making the back of a dress look amazing. This is a dress I fell in love with from behind, and then upon clicking, was underwhelmed by the front. Still, it’s a nice simple dress.

TFNC Wedding High Neck Maxi Dress with Bow Back $83

This is another example of a beautifully designed dress from the back.

TFNC Wedding Cold Shoulder Embellished Maxi Dress $91

This dress is so pretty! This might very well be in my top five too. It’s gorgeous, soft, demure, and feminine. I love the construction, the color, the sleeve placement, and the embellished waistband.