Brother's outdoor November wedding...help! :)

[mrs_pell]

Ok...my brother is getting married Nov 21st. The wedding will be in Houston, and outside on a golf course. Average temps that time of year are high 50's/low 60s, but is often warmer than that. The colors are black and white, with red accents. The BMs will be wearing black dresses.

So, this is probably a really stupid question, but I'm having a hard time figuring out what I should wear! I'm not in the wedding, but will obviously be in a lot of the pictures. Normally, I wouldn't want to wear the same color as the BMs, but so many of the dresses I like are black. Is black out for me? Also, is red out? Normally I wouldn't stress so much over it, but it is my only brother's wedding! :)

[boilermaker]

If you want to wear black, why don't you ask your future SIL if she would have a problem with it. I personally see nothing wrong with it at all. After all, LBD is pretty typical attire for a wedding. In my sister's wedding, those of us who were not in the wedding still wore similar colors so we would look coordinated in family pics.

[Sposa06]

If they were wearing lime green and you wanted to wear a lime green dress, I'd try to steer you in another direction, but black is such a common color that your FSIL can't be expecting her bridesmaids to be the only ones there in black dresses. In your position, I'd wear a black dress and then add a cute, lightweight red or crimson cardigan, or maybe a wide red or crimson patent belt. I'd also wear one piece of bold, chunky jewelry, since bridesmaids usually wear fairly delicate jewelry.

[BTB]

Personally I would not typically consider wearing black to a wedding, but since you know ahead of time the bridesmaids are in black, it's definitely safe. I agree with this:

If they were wearing lime green and you wanted to wear a lime green dress, I'd try to steer you in another direction, but black is such a common color that your FSIL can't be expecting her bridesmaids to be the only ones there in black dresses.

However I would intentionally make the accent to my black dress something not in the red family as I wouldn't want to look too matchy-matchy to the theme colors. I think wearing either black or red under these circumstances would be fine, but not both.

[Fenway]

If they were wearing lime green and you wanted to wear a lime green dress, I'd try to steer you in another direction, but black is such a common color that your FSIL can't be expecting her bridesmaids to be the only ones there in black dresses. In your position, I'd wear a black dress and then add a cute, lightweight red or crimson cardigan, or maybe a wide red or crimson patent belt. I'd also wear one piece of bold, chunky jewelry, since bridesmaids usually wear fairly delicate jewelry.

I agree with this except I don't think you should use red or anything like it as an accent color.

[mkvh]

You also could wear charcoal or grey, and cobalt blue would make a fine accent color that would blend rather than clashing with the overall scheme in terms of pictures. Or you could do a pattern rather than a solid.

[mrs_pell]

Thanks ladies! I hadn't even thought of charcoal/gray! I love that idea! I don't think that future SIL will care at all what I wear since she's one of the most laid back, non-bridezilla people I've ever known, but I still don't want to be "that girl!" ;)

[looch]

I'd go with a black dress in this scenario, primarily because i am in an anti-spending money mode and could wear a dress from my closet. Do you know the length/style of the dresses the bridesmaids are wearing? I'd get something that is sort of opposite to what they are wearing. If they are wearing long and strapless, I'd get short and with a boat neckline. If they are wearing short and with straps, I'd get a long strapless dress and wear an awesome statement necklace. I might even wear a skirt suit in an elegant fabric.

[MrsBeckyLP]

However I would intentionally make the accent to my black dress something not in the red family as I wouldn't want to look too matchy-matchy to the theme colors.

Exactly.

[Sposa06]

My MIL sticks out like a sore thumb in our wedding pics; our wedding colors were navy, slate blue and lime green, and she wore a peach and purple floral print dress (she'd been planning to wear a navy pantsuit but changed her mind at the last minute). Everyone else wore colors that worked well with our colors and looked great. So that's why I suggested red--I think a red accent would look nice (in terms of the cardigan, I was picturing a really lightweight, short-sleeved summery one that you'd only wear part of the time, based on the temps you mentioned). Something like one of these would look nice without being overkill:

http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/3067259/0~2376779~6008000~6006949?mediumthumbnail=Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=6006949&P=1

http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/3031630/0~2376778~2372808~2372949~2376189?mediumthumbnail= Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=2376189&P=1

Other colors that I think would look good as accents are plum or burnt orange (not bright orange--that would be too Halloween-y).

[mrs_pell]

My MIL sticks out like a sore thumb in our wedding pics; our wedding colors were navy, slate blue and lime green, and she wore a peach and purple floral print dress (she'd been planning to wear a navy pantsuit but changed her mind at the last minute). Everyone else wore colors that worked well with our colors and looked great. So that's why I suggested red--I think a red accent would look nice (in terms of the cardigan, I was picturing a really lightweight, short-sleeved summery one that you'd only wear part of the time, based on the temps you mentioned). Something like one of these would look nice without being overkill:

http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/3067259/0~2376779~6008000~6006949?mediumthumbnail=Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=6006949&P=1

http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/3031630/0~2376778~2372808~2372949~2376189?mediumthumbnail= Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=2376189&P=1

Other colors that I think would look good as accents are plum or burnt orange (not bright orange--that would be too Halloween-y).

Oooohhh...I like those shoes!! :) I think I found a grey dress that I really like. Now I just have to decide if it's too formal-looking for their wedding. I was originally thinking a shorter dress. The guys aren't wearing tuxes (he'll be in a suit, and the others will be in dress slacks/dress shirts), and the wedding's at 5:30. This is the one I really like...
http://www.dillards.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=301&langId=-1&storeId=301&productId=501866718&view=80&No=1120&N=1000894&searchUrl=%2Fendeca%2FEndecaStartServlet%3Fview%3D 80%26No%3D1120%26N%3D1000894&R=03001052

[mkvh]

5:30 wedding usually would mean more formal, but if the groom is just wearing a suit, that kind of contradicts that. On the flip side, that dress is a more "evening" sillouhette with beading but is jersey which is less dressy.

Honestly, the more you write, the more I'm leaning toward looch's suggestion of a very dressy suit. I can't find a good example, though. Holiday stuff should make it easier to find, though.

And randomly, I love this look for the level of formality of the occasion. Maybe not the color...:
http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/3054752/0~2376776~2374327~6019278~6019882?mediumthumbnail= Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=6019882&P=3

[Sposa06]

Glad you like the shoes! :)

I definitely think that a short dress is the way to go. I know jersey's not formal, but the combo of the length, the beading and the ruching make that dress too formal for the wedding, I think. It is pretty--but I think it's too much.

Maybe something like one of these?

http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/3037069/0~2376776~2374327~2374331~6020250?mediumthumbnail= Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=6020250&P=1

http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/3054458/0~2376776~2374327~2374331~6020250?mediumthumbnail= Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=6020250&P=2

http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/3036629/0~2376776~2374327~2374331~6020250?mediumthumbnail= Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=6020250&P=3

http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2952766/0~2376776~2374327~2374331~6020250?mediumthumbnail= Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=6020250&P=3

A dressy suit would work, too, but I think that dresses are more fun to wear.