Hat Etiquette At Weddings
Hat Etiquette At Weddings
What is more fun than a huge, elaborate hat? We love hats and besides the Kentucky Derby, weddings are a fantastic place to wear them. Whether you’re the bride or just a guest, hats are always in vogue. We have some hat etiquette tips to keep the big day low maintenance and hassle free.
The best thing to remember when you pick out or design a hat is that you are wearing it and not the other way around!
If you are tall then avoid tall hats with wide brims. If you’re shorter, avoid large hats and go for more structured hats. You need to compliment your body type with your hat choice. You will be happy you did when you see the wedding photos.
Should your mother or mother-in-law want to wear a hat, they should pick ones that are smaller than yours, as the bride.
This is true of guests as well – you never want to outshine the bride! It’s not unreasonable to ask your photographer to ask people to move their hats for better shots. Or the photographer may need to ask everyone in the shot to adjust their hats so faces are clear.
Another hat etiquette is when you decorate your hat, always defer to the right.
You can choose from feathers, ribbons, felt bands or rhinestones, but keep to tradition and put all of that on the right. Men’s hats are embellished on the left. When you design your hat or choose a big hat, keep in mind the tradition that the time of day dictates how large the hat must be. The later in the day, the smaller the hat is a general rule. Large brims in the morning and late evening are too extravagant since they are not needed to keep the sun out of your eyes.
And lastly, it is always customary to remove a hat when going inside a building.
This does not apply to a lady’s hat as it is considered part of the outfit. Gentlemen, on the other hand, still need to remove their hats if they wear them. It’s important to know these social cues so you do not unintentionally offend someone.
So go pick out that fantastic head piece you’ve always wanted and treat yourself to a bit of fancy! For more wedding planning tricks and tips, or wedding fashion advice, check out more Chicago Wedding Bride posts below!
