Engagement Party Dresses: What the Bride and the Guests Should Wear
Engagement Party Dresses: What the Bride and the Guests Should Wear
The short answer: the bride to be wears white, ivory and cream, and the guests wear anything else. For the bride, our first pick is the Christopher Midi Dress by Rebecca Vallance, an ivory crepe midi with a square neckline, a bow trim and a circular skirt, which the brand files under its own engagement and bridal shower edits. For a guest, choose colour: the Preston Short Sleeve Midi Dress in hydrangea blue is smart for a lunch and right for a cocktail party. Browse every style in designer dresses.
An engagement party is the first event of the wedding year, and it sets the tone. It is usually less formal than the wedding itself, usually a smart lunch, a garden party, sometimes a cocktail evening. The dress should be celebratory without being bridal in the full sense: a white dress that would look right at a summer party, not a gown. Rebecca Vallance has a large ivory and cream range for exactly this moment, cut in structured crepe, broderie cotton and lace.
Engagement party dresses at a glance
| Who | Party | Our pick |
|---|---|---|
| Bride to be | Garden, daytime | St Ives Midi Dress |
| Bride to be | Lunch, restaurant | Christopher Midi Dress |
| Bride to be | Cocktail, evening | Noemie Mini Dress in Cream |
| Bride to be | Playful, modern | Bacio Midi Dress in Cream |
| Guest | Daytime | Preston Short Sleeve Midi Dress |
| Guest | Evening | Gimlet Halter Midi Dress in Cornflower Blue |
For the bride to be
1. Christopher Midi Dress
Ivory crepe with a square neckline, a bow trim and a circular midi skirt. It is the dress the brand itself puts forward for engagements, and it works from a long lunch into the evening.
2. St Ives Midi Dress
Ivory cotton broderie anglaise with a boat neckline and a fitted bodice. The right dress for an engagement party in a garden.
3. Noemie Mini Dress in Cream
A cream mini with a crew neckline and diamante embellishment, and a circular skirt. For a cocktail party, with your hair up.
4. Bacio Midi Dress in Cream
Cream with a contrast black spot print and a boat neckline. Polka dots are the modern way to wear white at your own party, and they photograph well.
5. Christopher Short Sleeve Midi Dress
Ivory with a shawl lapel edged in scallop trim and short sleeves. Tailored, polished, and good for a family lunch.
6. Jacquie Midi Dress
Cream, with a square neckline, wide straps and a pencil midi skirt. The cleanest line in the edit.
7. Noemie Midi Dress in Cream
The midi version of the Noemie, with a fit and flare skirt and diamante at the crew neckline.
For the guests
8. Preston Short Sleeve Midi Dress
Hydrangea blue with a stand collar and short sleeves. Blue is the easiest guest colour because it never competes with white.
9. Gimlet Halter Midi Dress in Cornflower Blue
A wrap bodice, a halter neckline with custom diamante trim and a front cut out, in recycled polyester. For an evening party.
10. Yorkshire Short Sleeve Midi Dress
Blossom pink with floral applique and a high neckline. Pretty for a garden party, and modest enough for a family event.
Engagement party etiquette
White is for the bride to be. Guests should avoid white, ivory and cream, the same rule as at the wedding. Prints with a white ground are fine if the colour dominates.
Match the invitation. A lunch means a day dress at the knee to midi length. A cocktail invitation calls for something dressier: a mini, an embellished midi, a richer fabric. Our cocktail dresses guide explains the dress code.
Plan the outfits that follow. The engagement party is often the first of several events: a bridal shower, a hen party, a rehearsal dinner. Choosing a white dress that is different in shape for each one keeps the photographs interesting.
On sizing: Rebecca Vallance says its dresses fit true to size, and AU sizing matches UK sizing. See our size guide.
Frequently asked questions
What should the bride wear to an engagement party?
A white dress, in ivory and cream too, that suits the setting: broderie cotton for a garden, structured crepe for a lunch, embellishment for a cocktail evening. It should feel celebratory but less formal than the wedding dress.
Can guests wear white to an engagement party?
It is best not to. White is generally reserved for the bride to be at every wedding event. Choose a colour, a print, and black is fine for an evening party.
What length dress should you wear to an engagement party?
Knee length to midi is right for most engagement parties. A mini works for an evening cocktail party. A gown is too formal unless the invitation says black tie.
Does Rebecca Vallance make engagement dresses?
Yes. The brand has its own Engagement and Bridal Shower edits, built around ivory and cream pieces such as the Christopher, St Ives and Noemie dresses.
For more, read our Rebecca Vallance white dresses guide, the bridal shower dresses guide, and shop every ivory dress on Coveti.
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