Oscar Dresses

Should I change dresses between wedding ceremony and reception (I'm a guest)?

I'm going to a black tie wedding and got a very fancy gown (something one might wear to the Oscars) for the event, which is at the Ritz Hotel. However, I just realized that the ceremony is at a church, and not only do I now have to worry about the proper coat (it's on the East Coast) to put over my dress, I'm wondering if it's not too fancy of a gown for a daytime church wedding. Do I wear one thing to the wedding and the nice gown to the reception? What's the etiquette?

Public Comments

1. Your gown sounds like it's too fancy for any wedding. Get a different dress you wear all day-- you don't wear a fancy evening gown to a daytime church wedding.
2. Since it is a black tie wedding then you can wear the same dress to both. The reception will be black tie also I am assuming, so everyone else will be dressed up really fancy too. No need to change dresses.
3. If you think the dress you picked out is the appropriate degree of formal attire, than yes, wearing another ensemble to the daytime church wedding is idea. If, however, the dress you picked out is too formal (aka, if everyone else is dressing less formally to the reception), then you should consider returning the dress and opting for a less-formal dress that you could wear to both occasions.
4. You should wear a formal afternoon dress to a daytime church wedding ceremony -- normally a tea-length gown with pearls or beads, and a hat and three-button gloves if you are in the habit of wearing those accessories. For the black-tie evening party your evening gown is correct, with glittering stones and no hat, and with eighteen-button gloves if you wear gloves. So, yes, the proper thing to do is change clothes between the ceremony and the reception. Quite possibly there may be many guests who cannot, or who don't want to bother; but if you do so you at least will be correct.
5. You should wear the same thing to both but have a little cardi or shawl for at the church part
6. Since it's at the "Ritz" people will be decked out wear one dress and have fun