[36 Black Tie Wedding Guest Dresses That Are Perfectly Formal]

Photographed by Acielle / Style Du Monde

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When the wedding guest dress code calls for one of the best black-tie wedding guest dresses, there’s no need to have formalwear anxiety. In fact, your evening look will be quite easy to achieve if you keep a few things in mind: First, the words black tie are synonymous with floor-length hemlines in the fashion dictionary. Think ankle-skimming gowns and glamorous maxis. Do keep in mind of the setting, though, when shopping for your dress as a black-tie wedding on a beach will call for something more whimsical and airy while a ballroom black-tie in the city might require something a bit more voluminous and structured.

Vogue’s Favorite Black-Tie Wedding Guest Dresses

• The Classic Black: Ulla Johnson Adona one-shoulder silk-chiffon gown, $1,190
• The Romantic Ruffles: Zimmermann Crush tiered A-line gown, $3,150
• The Off-the-Shoulder Drama: Bernadette Adrian one-shoulder gown, $1,000
• The Shimmery Sequin: Clio Peppiatt Zodiac embellished beaded stretch-crepe gown, $4,375
• The Touch of Floral: Staud Albee maxi dress, $595
• The Dramatic Draping: Stella McCartney asymmetric cape-effect stretch-satin gown, $2,550

In addition to the length of the dress, fabrics are of crucial importance, too. This is your moment to go all out with show-stopping sequins, luxurious chiffon, and dreamy layers of tulle. A few embellishments here and there won’t hurt, either. The sequins on Simkhai’s awe-inspiring number will make you feel like royalty and set you up to win best-dressed guest.

So save the cotton minis for less formal cocktail events, and prepare to bring on the ritz and glitz with 36 of the best black-tie wedding guest dresses, below.

Black Magic

Shimmer and Shine

In Bloom

Dramatic Draping

Geometric Prints

Romantic Ruffles