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How to be the most fashionable guest at this year's weddings

Weddings are a great opportunity for all involved – not only to be part of a special day and meet new people, but also because it's a great chance to dress up. Forget worrying about upstaging the bride – life's too short not to take this opportunity to shine.

Firstly, get an insight into themes, the bride’s dress and bridesmaids dresses as this could have an influence, spark ideas and give you a good idea of what not to wear to avoid clashing.

Familiarise yourself with this year’s trends and incorporate them into a classy, sophisticated outfit that will see you through the ceremony and reception. By taking a trend from catwalk to high street to wedding – you can be the most on-trend guest in the whole wedding.

The diamond jubilee has ignited a trend this year – dresses rippling with sequins, sparkling beads and dazzling tiaras. This year is all about luxurious shine and shimmer. It's always better to be overdressed than underdressed – so look for some embellishment to be royally on-trend.

Chunky bangles are massive on the high street this season – but that doesn’t mean you have to look high street. A gold metal cuff or a chunky, embellished silver bracelet will give you an overstated look in an understated way.

Depending on the colour theme of the big day, you could embrace the ocean trend – which has run deep throughout this year’s collections. With sugary seahorses and starfish, pearl shells and deep blues, this trend is difficult to master – but worth the effort in trying. A light blue maxi dress decorated with a deep blue glass beaded necklace, for instance, will combine high fashion with sophistication.

Paisley is another main contender on the catwalk this Spring/Summer. If a patterned dress is a little too much, why not make a psychedelic paisley silk scarf the highlight of your outfit?

If you’re an avid fashion-follower, you will know that the sun-drenched plains of Africa are never away from the catwalk for too long, and this summer is no exception. Animal prints, khaki and ethnic prints are flooding the high street, so there’s no excuse for not perfecting the look in time for your next wedding. This trend is easily transferable from casual to sophisticated, too.

If a tribal-influenced dress is too much – don’t fear. You don’t need to cover yourself in leopard print in order to make this work. There is also an abundance of African-inspired jewellery lines, too – so go for an earth-coloured, plain dress and let the beads do the talking.

The power of flowers has this season been fully recognised – and luckily for you this is a trend that can be tailored to any size, shape and style. You can opt for a pretty pastel number, a dark and dramatic dress or anything in-between – alternatively, a panel dress will invite a more subtle amount of floral to your outfit. This trend also invites the art of pattern-clashes. The catwalk saw a lot of geometric collisions, including dots, stripes and sequins.

Colour blocking has never been more popular than it is this season, so perhaps consider a geometric, two-toned dress? You don’t have to opt for bright colours with this trend – pick subtle colours to stay ahead of the game whilst remaining sophisticated.

There are many trends this summer that can inspire you, and work their way into a sophisticated, on-trend outfit suited for any wedding. Whatever trend takes your fancy – figuring out how to wear it is half the fun. Just try to avoid the sports-luxe trend.