October wedding: what to wear when the evening turns cold?

The ceremony starts at three in the sun, and at ten at night you step outside the venue into eight degrees. For an October wedding, dress in layers: a heavier, fluid dress in a deep colour and a cover-up planned from the start, not grabbed at the last minute.

• Which dress. Midi or long, with sleeves or a planned layer, in satin, viscose or Tencel.
• Which colours. Burgundy, plum, chocolate brown, navy and rich prints on a dark ground.
• What to wear over your shoulders. A blazer, a long soft knit cardigan or a short jacket once it drops to eight degrees.
• Outdoor wedding. Closed shoes with a stable heel and a warmer fabric.
• Instead of a dress. A tailored suit set in a deep colour with a satin top.
• What to avoid. Summer fabrics, white and bare feet in sandals.

What dress should you wear to an October wedding?

For an October wedding, the best choice is a midi or long dress with sleeves, made from a heavier fluid fabric such as satin viscose, crepe or Tencel. It works for the ceremony and the reception alike.

A midi length, from mid-calf to the ankle, is the safest: it covers your legs in a chilly ceremony space and never gets in the way when you dance. A long or three-quarter sleeve frees you from wearing a cover-up all evening. If you prefer a strappy dress, treat the cover-up as part of the look from the very beginning. When you browse wedding guest dresses, look for viscose and Tencel, because they drape softly and do not cling to tights. Satin viscose catches a warm sheen under artificial light and ripples with every turn, so it needs few accessories.

Which colours work best for an October wedding?

For an October wedding, deep, warm colours work best: burgundy, plum, chocolate brown and navy, and among prints, those set on a dark ground. They suit the autumn light and the warm decorations of an evening reception.

Burgundy and chocolate brown are the two safest choices, because they look festive in any light, from daylight to the warm lamps of the reception. To understand the shade better, read more about burgundy as a colour.

What should you wear over your shoulders when the evening drops to 8 degrees?

At eight degrees, a blazer, a long soft knit cardigan or a short jacket will keep your shoulders warm, because a thin wrap is not enough for a longer moment outside. Choose a cover-up that matches either your dress or your shoes.

• Blazer. A straight or double-breasted blazer draped over your shoulders suits a midi dress and gives the whole look an evening silhouette.
• Long knit cardigan. Light yet warm, it works with a long dress because it ends close to the dress hem.
• Short jacket. With a midi dress and a full skirt, a cover-up that ends at the waist works well.
• A coat for the journey. For the walk from the car to the venue, a coat you leave in the cloakroom is all you need.

Save the shawl and the thin bolero for September, and reach for soft knit cardigans instead.

Barn or outdoor wedding in autumn: what should you wear?

For a barn or outdoor wedding in autumn, choose a midi dress, closed shoes with a stable heel and a warm cover-up, because uneven ground and a cold evening are a given. Printed midi dresses on a dark ground, worn with a blazer or a short suede jacket, suit a rustic setting.

Stilettos sink into grass and gravel, so block-heel ankle boots, loafers or court shoes with a wider heel are a sensible choice. Barns are often unheated, so bring a cover-up you can wear all evening, not just outdoors. Tights from 20 denier solve the problem of cold legs without looking wintry.

Suit set or dress for an autumn wedding?

For an autumn wedding, both a suit set and a dress will work, and the choice depends on whether you want warmth and ease of movement or a classic festive effect. A tailored suit set in a deep colour keeps you warmer than a dress and needs no extra cover-up.

A blazer and trousers in brown, burgundy or plum look festive when you pair them with a satin top, gold jewellery and heels. A dress remains the more traditional choice and suits a formal ceremony better. Among suit sets, look for tailoring in a fabric with a soft sheen or in a colour that does not read as office wear.

What not to wear to an October wedding

A few choices that give away a look planned for summer:

• Avoid linen and thin cotton. These fabrics crease and look summery, and in autumn they give you no warmth.
• Never wear white or ecru. These colours belong to the bride, whatever the season.
• Skip sandals on bare feet. Feet get cold after dark, and open shoes beside an autumn fabric look like a mistake.
• Avoid head-to-toe pastel mint and lemon. A summer palette gets lost in the October light.

Frequently asked questions

Can you wear a black dress to an October wedding?

You can, as long as the dress has a festive cut and fabric, and the accessories are gold or coloured. Black with no accent at all can easily read as mourning, so break it up with jewellery or a coloured cover-up, as described in the guide on how to dress as a wedding guest.

Tights with a wedding guest dress in autumn: yes or no?

Yes, in October tights are a sensible choice, ideally sheer ones from 15 to 20 denier, nude with a light dress and black with a dark one. Save thicker opaque tights for November and winter weddings.

Does a strappy dress work in October?

It does, if you plan the cover-up and tights from the start, for example a burgundy dress with a blazer in the same tone. Without a cover-up, you will spend the ceremony and the time outside the venue in the cold.

Go back to that moment at ten in the evening outside the venue. If your dress has sleeves or a planned cover-up and your shoes are closed, eight degrees will not cut your evening short. A deep colour, a heavier fabric and one layer over your shoulders are all it takes.