Image credit: courtesy of Réalisation Par

Vogue Australia may receive advertising or affiliate commission if you buy through our links. Read more here.

Temperate sun, abundant greenery and flowers in full bloom—spring has long been the season of choice for brides-to-be, and welcomed with even more fervour by their wedding guests, whose sartorial possibilities are suddenly endless. With the chill no longer a concern (dressing for a winter wedding is a particularly Herculean challenge), you’ll find that the difficulty will come from indecision. Should you wear a maxi design, or something tea-length? A piece that’s colour-blocked, or splashed all-over with a vintage floral print? Either way, it’s high time to bare your shoulders and slip into a dress that’s fun, flirty and versatile.

A few pieces of advice before you begin your search. For one, we’d recommend bright colours; match the climate and occasion by dressing joyously. And two, figure out whether the wedding dress code is black tie or cocktail. If the former, something floor-sweeping wouldn’t be amiss—think a hot pink organza dress from Staud or a metallic crochet confection from Missoni. If the latter, go for something midi that you can dress up with a pair of strappy heels. On that front, Australian labels like Aje, Sir and Bec + Bridge have plenty of options at your disposal. Finally, and perhaps most importantly of all, wedding guest outfits should be supremely dance-appropriate. The bride will have something old and new, but you should have something swishy. Trust us—it’ll make the reception far more enjoyable.

Wondering what dresses to wear to a wedding in springtime? Here, Vogue presents the very best spring wedding guest dresses to shop in 2023, from Pretty Woman polka dots to wrap dresses guaranteed to make your inner French girl sing.

Vogue’s top picks

• Best overall spring wedding guest dress: Cecilie Bahnsen Susa ruffled cotton midi dress
• Best mini spring wedding guest dress: Aje Arista Tulip sleeve mini dress
• Best midi spring wedding guest dress: Dôen Gia ruffled cotton-blend voile midi dress
• Best maxi spring wedding guest dress: Staud Calluna organza maxi dress

Sign up to the Vogue newsletter

The best spring wedding guest dresses to shop in 2023

Aje

If you’re looking for mini spring dresses, this option is it. Aje’s adorable smock is for the wedding guest wanting to prioritise comfort—see the puff sleeves and A-line skirt—but not skimp on style, and nothing makes a statement quite like Barbie pink.

Length: Mini | Material: Linen, viscose | Delivery: Free over $150

SHOP NOW: Arista Tulip sleeve mini dress, $525 from Aje

Dôen

Purchase a dress from Dôen and you’ll find yourself suddenly overcome with the urge to move to the countryside and live an idyllic life in greener pastures. Their Gia design, a square-necked midi dress with a smocked bodice and dainty sleeves, is the kind of thing we’d imagine the best-dressed wedding guest to be wearing. It’s floral, sustainable and utterly bucolic. What more could you ask for from a spring staple?

Length: Midi | Material: 100 per cent organic cotton | Delivery: $10 express shipping

SHOP NOW: Dôen Gia ruffled floral-print organic cotton-blend voile midi dress, $512.80 from Net-a-Porter

Sir.

Oh how we could sing the eternal praises of this frilled maxi from Sir. The chocolate brown is a relatively subdued shade, but the contemporary cut of the dress, with its plunge neckline and open back details, help it stand out. A modern Pretty Woman moment if we ever saw one.

Length: Maxi | Material: Silk cotton | Delivery: Free over $300

SHOP NOW: Vivi frill maxi dress, $220 (originally $460) from Sir.

Aere

Affordable, breathable and available in lilac and black, this strapless linen dress from Aere is about as classic as you can get with a spring or summer wedding guest dress.

Length: Maxi | Material: Linen and cotton | Delivery: Free over $50

SHOP NOW: Aere tiered linen strapless maxi dress, $160 from The Iconic

Cecilie Bahnsen

You had us at marigold yellow. This stretch-jersey dress from Tove features the label’s signature empire waist, and trailing ruffles that somehow manage to seem contemporary and cool too. 

Length: Midi | Material: 100 per cent cotton | Delivery: Free over $800

SHOP NOW: Cecilie Bahnsen Susa ruffled cotton midi dress, $1,423 from Matches Fashion

Pleats Please Issey Miyake

Have room to splurge on your wedding attire? Why not add this absurdly comfortable Issey Miyake dress to your cart. Wear with your hair down and a pair of kitten heels; every wedding needs a dose of too-cool-for-school, art curator energy, and you’ll bring it in spades.

Length: Midi | Material: Polyester | Delivery: Free over $800

SHOP NOW: Pleats Please Issey Miyake technical-pleated midi dress, $855 from Matches Fashion

Jacquemus

Buttons line the front of this ankle-length, off-shoulder dress by Jacquemus, one of those pieces you’ll wear to a spring wedding, but find yourself reaching for over and over again as the seasons go on. Or, as the next wedding season swings around.

Length: Maxi | Material: Viscose | Delivery: $10 express shipping

SHOP NOW: Jacquemus Lagoa cold-shoulder stretch-knit maxi dress, $417.02 (originally $695.04) from Net-a-Porter

Posse

This slip dress from Posse would flatter any figure, and the deep emerald will transition from the morning’s ceremony to the night’s festivities with ease.

Length: Midi | Material: Viscose and linen | Delivery: Free over $150

SHOP NOW: Carter slip dress, $389 from Posse

Shona Joy

You’ll be a springtime vision in this ruffled, semi-sheer chiffon midi dress from Shona, which comes in an eye-catching green print.

Length: Maxi | Material: Chiffon | Delivery: Free over $50

SHOP NOW: Shona Joy Belvedere ruched frill maxi dress, $440 from The Iconic

Norma Kamali

Your eyes do not deceive you—this is, in fact, the very dress Sarah Jessica Parker’s Carrie Bradshaw wore on the latest reboot of Sex and the City. Hers came in a baby blue, but we’re also fans of this warm coral, which we’d wear to a wedding any day.

Length: Midi | Material: Stretch-jersey | Delivery: $10 express shipping

SHOP NOW: Diana one-shoulder ruched stretch-jersey dress, $219.09 (originally $365.15) from Net-a-Porter

Faithfull the Brand

Anyone whose Achilles heel is retro-inspired midi dresses will be familiar with Faithfull the Brand, the Australian designer behind the pieces every It-girl (including, famously, the Duchess of Cambridge) debuts in the spring and summer. Their Bellavista design comes with an adjustable waist and puff sleeves, and is crafted from a daffodil-yellow rayon that’s light on the eye and body.

Length: Midi | Material: Rayon | Delivery: Free over US$100

SHOP NOW: Faithfull the Brand Bellavista midi dress, $331.73 from Revolve

Staud

To hell with restraint, dresses for spring weddings should be fun. Provided you’ve gotten a black tie memo, we’d struggle to think of a ceremony where we wouldn’t wear this maxi dress from Staud. The frothy, periwinkle organza is to die for—bold, certainly, but not ostentatious—while the bow at the back will ensure you make as much of an impact leaving as you do arriving.

Length: Maxi | Material: Cotton and polyester | Delivery: Free over $300

SHOP NOW: Staud Calluna organza maxi dress, $790 from Farfetch

& Other Stories

Still questioning what to wear to a wedding in spring? Another option comes in the form of this maxi dress from & Other Stories. The trapeze silhouette will keep you relaxed, but note the delightful open back detail, and the irresistible bubblegum pink shade.

Length: Maxi | Material: Polyester and viscose | Delivery: Free over $50

SHOP NOW: & Other Stories open back strappy halter neck dress, $209 from The Iconic

Bec + Bridge

Bella Hadid and Kendall Jenner have worn this exact dress in a teal shade. That’s it. That’s the pitch. If a dress, especially an Australian one, comes with two supermodels’ stamps of approval, you can bet we’re trialling it at the earliest opportunity. 

Length: Maxi | Material: Polyester and elastane | Delivery: Free shipping

SHOP NOW: Moon dance strapless dress, $300 from Bec + Bridge

Hansen & Gretel

There's something very Alexa Chung about this Hansen & Gretel floral dress, which comes in a silk that’ll only get better as the evening reception approaches and a disco ball replaces the sun.

Length: Midi | Material: Silk and spandex | Delivery: $10 express shipping

SHOP NOW: Emmery dress in Brocade, $349 from Hansen & Gretel

Reformation

No, it wouldn’t be a proper wedding dress round-up without a mention of Reformation. This georgette midi from the LA-based label comes with all their beloved hallmarks: a vintage-inspired silhouette, a delectable print, a sweeping hem. In other words, it’s a spring season must-have. 

Length: Midi | Material: Georgette | Delivery: Free shipping

SHOP NOW: Talleen dress, $450 from Reformation

Réalisation Par

I think I own this romantic Réalisation Par wrap dress in almost every one of the label’s available colourways, but their purple liberty print is a particular favourite, and especially suited to spring.

Length: Midi | Material: 100 per cent silk crepe | Delivery: Free over $300

SHOP NOW: The Teale in Purple Haze, $315.15 from Réalisation Par

Christopher Esber

We don’t know about you, but we take spring as an opportunity to wear as much green as possible. It’s the colour of the season, after all. This strapless dress from Christopher Esber will keep you equally chic and comfortable.

Length: Maxi | Material: Italian viscose and jersey | Delivery: Free over $350

SHOP NOW: Strapless ruched dress, $845 from Christopher Esber

Blanca

Easy, breezy... Blanca? This maxi dress from the local designer comes in a buttery yellow hue and fringe along the hem (for all your dance floor needs). Dress it up on the day with a pair of coloured satin mules, but you’re just as welcome to accessorise with barely there sandals—let the shape and shade do the talking.

Length: Maxi | Material: Polyester | Delivery: Free over $50

SHOP NOW: Pallas dress, $500 from Blanca

Venroy

It is even spring if you don’t wear a slip dress? Sport the flattering silhouette with this delicate, sheer-panelled number from Venroy.

Length: Midi | Material: 100 per cent silk | Delivery: Free shipping

SHOP NOW: Sheer panelled silk slip dress, $380 from Venroy

Sign up to the Vogue newsletter