Elegant Black Dresses to Wear as a Wedding Guest

Yes, you can wear a black dress to a wedding! We've picked some of the best black dresses to wear to weddings as a guest!

The shopping links and images in this post about black dresses for wedding guests use affiliate links to the shops where these dresses are sold, which means we may earn a commission on qualified purchases.

Image credits and shopping sources: 1. Black Sequin One Shoulder Midi Dress from Petal + Pup 2. Black Pleated Midi Dress from Astr the Label 3. Black floral maxi dress from Lulus 4. Strapless black formal gown with a bow from Anthropologie

Black Dresses for Wedding Guests

Petal + Pup

Gone are the days when a black dress was considered off-limits for wedding attire. As long as your event is in the afternoon or evening, it's fine to choose a chic little black dress that has plenty of festive personality. Black dresses are known for their timeless sophistication, which is just the look you want for a special occasion. Just add some sparkling accessories and a chic clutch, and you'll be in good form.

When to Wear a Black Dress to a Wedding

Astr the Label

Black dresses are particularly great choices for evening semi-formal weddings and a great go-to dress when the dress code and expected level of formality of the event is a little unclear. Black formal dresses are often the perfect dress to choose, especially for a formal affair like a nighttime black tie wedding. For a formal winter wedding, a chic black off-the-shoulder gown with long sleeves can leave a lasting impression. If it's a warm-weather or daytime wedding, then a bit of color is often a better option or a black dress with a bright floral print or pattern is a better choice.

Black Dresses for the Wedding Party

Anthropologie

If you're in the wedding party or a couple looking for wedding party style ideas, check out these pages if you need Black Dresses for Bridesmaids or Black Dresses for Mothers of the Wedding instead.

Finding a Great Black Dress to Wear to a Wedding

Petal + Pup

We keep an eye out for great black dresses all the time from the retailers below who consistently offer some gorgeous dresses. To help you find where to shop for black dresses, we've created this collection of black dresses with an eye towards ensuring you'll be the best-dressed guest. We update this collection of black wedding guest dresses with new arrivals as soon as we find a new dress to love.

Shop the Look

From black midi dresses for casual weddings and semi-formal weddings to floor-length black gowns for black tie wedding guest dresses, this shopping guide is here to help you find a stunning black wedding guest dress for the ideal wedding guest outfit for life's special events.

More Dresses to Wear to Weddings

Lulus

We also love these black floral wedding guest dresses, these formal wedding guest dresses for black tie weddings, and, if a dress isn't your preference, try a dressy black jumpsuit. As much as we love black dresses, they also aren't our first choice for a summer wedding or a beach wedding, so check out our beach wedding guest dresses and summer wedding guest dress picks for the perfect outfit for those events.

More Wedding Guest Attire Ideas

Casual or Dressy Casual Dresses | Semi-Formal Cocktail Dresses | Long Formal Gowns | Maxi Dresses to Wear to Weddings | Plus Size Wedding Guest Dresses

Are you in the wedding? Check out Wedding Dresses | Mother of the Bride Dresses | Bridesmaid Dresses

Dresses from Past Seasons

These dresses were previously featured on this page, but are now out of stock. We keep them here for reference just in case you've reached this page from a Pinterest pin with this image. This shopping guide article was originally published on April 2015 and was updated most recently on April 23, 2024.