My Best Friend's Wedding

It may not be your special day, but you still want a special dress. Here, my favorite picks for the stylish wedding guest.

By Heather Summerville

It's wedding season, and though this may bring unbridled excitement to Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn, it sends me into an I-have-nothing-to-wear panic. I'm fortunate enough to only be attending three this year-as opposed to some of my friends who are juggling eight-but they all have vastly different themes, which require vastly different dresses that, unfortunately, are not already hanging in my closet.

I've always found these shopping excursions to be among the most difficult retail undertakings--right up there with swimsuits and jeans. But there are a few rules I always keep in mind to help me filter through the millions of dresses out there:

• Don't overdo it. You never want to run the risk of outshining the bride or her attendants. If there's a second of hesitation that something might be too fancy for the occasion, skip it.
• Err on the conservative side. Sure, it's fun to wear something sexy, especially if you're single, but keep in mind the diversity of the guests. Do you really want to be wearing a low-cut, skintight number next to the bride's grandmother?
• You've got to be able to move. Dancing is key at these things, and if you're wearing a style that's too constricting, it sucks the fun out of the whole evening.

So my hunt begins: three occasion-specific dresses that meet all of the above-mentioned criteria and, most importantly, are things I can justify wearing again.

I'll be heading to Toledo, Ohio, for the first wedding, which is an early-evening backyard garden party for two of my new boyfriend's high school friends. The event itself is pretty casual, but I had to figure in the fact that along with meeting his oldest pals, I'll be introduced to his parents. (No pressure at all!) I wanted something light, not-too-complicated, and 100 percent family-friendly. So when I found this silky dropwaist option from Julie Brown, I was thrilled. I've actually been looking for a floral dress forever. This one has an abstract pattern that keeps it from feeling too girly, and a cut that's flouncy but not revealing--perfect.

The very next weekend, I fly to a secluded island off the coast of Mexico for my cousin's small, family-only wedding. They've planned a beach ceremony at sunset, and the bride has requested that all of the female guests wear strapless and come barefoot. I immediately went to Diane von Furstenberg's site. Her dresses are always flattering, and the graphic, beachy print on this knee-length style is just plain gorgeous. Plus, I think it'll look amazing belted, under a slim-cut, buttoned-up black blazer, for more subdued events in the city.

Then it's back to Ohio--this time Columbus--for a classic black-tie affair a few weeks later. I didn't want to invest in a long, ornate style that would sit unused in my closet for months at a time. Instead, I went for something clean, short, and fun. Karta makes an ivory cross-front minidress with oversize gem embellishments at the waist. It's a little bit '70s, with just enough detailing to keep it formal. Now,  I know that wearing ivory or white to a wedding is a risk--the fashion rules say you shouldn't do it, ever--but this is where being close friends with the bride comes into play. I know she'll have on a jeweled, floor-length gown, so there's no way I'll steal her thunder. But this is definitely one of those situations where you should proceed with caution--and ask.

So, after weeks of trying on dress after dress after dress, I can say with confidence that I've found three options I can't wait to wear. Now if only I had the right shoes....

Heather is the senior editor at