How to Transform Your Wedding Day Look from Day to Night?

Outfit changes are a common staple at weddings at this point. While some think an outfit change has drawbacks, there are plenty of positives when done right. If you have a wedding that’s a bit of an all-day affair, you may want to consider a day-to-night transformation. If you’ve got plenty of lag between the ceremony and reception, it might be a fun way to kill some time!

Why Change?

Well, there are two main reasons you might want to go from a day to night look. One is concerned with fashion while the other is more functional, but they can coincide. 

In fashion, you have a more comprehensive range of looks to play with if you transition from day to night. Maybe you want to get creative with your bridal jewelry. Perhaps you’ve got a second dress or a jumpsuit that you’re dying to pull out for the evening’s event. If you’re fashion-forward, the transformation from day to night is your time to shine.

Pragmatically, your night look might include putting on something a bit easier to move in. Plenty of outfit options make you look stunning and allow you to dance the night away. This isn’t a concern of function over fashion; this is just functional fashion. Best of both worlds!

Consider Your Budget (and Your Time)

An outfit change is always met with a new round of congratulations and outfit compliments. Who’s going to say no to that? However, if you’re already pushing up toward the north end of your wedding budget, you might have to cut some extras. Not that you can’t find budget-friendly outfits that will be perfect for the night, but you may need to be aware of the dollars and sense.

You’re not just spending your money — you’re spending your time. It takes time to find the perfect wedding ceremony look. Now let’s add on time to find the ideal wedding reception look. It’s doable, especially for the efficient Type A shopper, but it will come at a time cost.

When to Change

While this depends on the structure of your reception, the time before the cocktail hour is a popular choice. Alternatively, wait until after dinner and before the dancing commences. You could always leave halfway through everyone’s dancing, but that might put you in a time crunch. Change whenever makes the most sense in your evening’s schedule.

Outfit Considerations

While an evening look is often considered to be a little darker and bolder, there’s no requirement that you go more formal. Dressing down a bit might be advantageous. Whether you plan to dress up or down, minor adjustments will help you find the best way to plan your looks.

Changes to the Ceremony

If you want to stay more formal in the evening, you can always dial the formality a bit in the ceremony. Adding some lace or a jacket (or even a train) will dial up your formality so you can dress down for the reception while maintaining a classy look.

Changes for Your Reception

You don’t have to add anything to your ceremony, of course. You can always do a complete outfit change for the reception. If you don’t want to go too casual, something like a flowy ball gown you can move in will do nicely. Adding stackable wedding bands and giving your ring some extra visual intrigue will also help.

Makeup

You don’t have to do anything too drastic here. It might not be in your best interest. After all, people are waiting to see you, so spending the next hour in the makeup chair might not be a good call. Sure, it’ll produce a killer look, but you’ll miss out on time with friends and family.

Err on the side of darker makeup looks. Maybe a bolder lip color from a more natural ceremony look. Opt for smoky or darker eye makeup, and you’ve got a look that stuns without wasting too much time and effort.

Hair

If you had your hair up, bring it down for the reception. If you had it down, maybe put it up or go half up, half down. The general idea is that you want stylistic visual separation with your hair. This can be tricky, going from one distinct hairstyle to another, so try it a few times to ensure the transition works before committing to it. 

You don’t have to do much to go from day to night. You don’t want to. You want something that dazzles, but you don’t want to be away for too long. A darker lipstick and a pop of color somewhere in your outfit can go a long way, even for as simple as they are. You don’t have to emulate a line change in hockey, but you do want to make sure you pick a look you love that doesn’t require you to give up larger chunks of your evening to attain.