Hat or Fascinator – the choice is yours !

Your wedding outfit has been chosen along with matching shoes and handbag – the big question facing many of us attending a wedding is whether to complete our outfit with a hat or fascinator?

To help you decide I asked a leading milliner in a large department store for some advice.  Do read on and check out the following rules and advice which I hope you will find helpful!

Wedding Hats

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The hat, the crowning glory of your outfit.  The hat choice we choose is not always straight forward, just choosing a hat in the matching colour will not work.  You will need to take into account the shape of the your face, skin tone and your figure.

  • Wide brimmed hats should contrast with your outfit, go with bold colours
  • Always try on your hat with your outfit, your hat should be in context with your whole look
  • Because a hat is worn so closely to your face it is important that the colour of the hat flatters your skin tone as well
  • If you have pale skin, a warm colour such as pink or rust is a good choice.  Darker skin is easier to choose for, although if it is very dark, black is best avoided
  • Wear your hat around the house.  Get accustomed to how it feels on your head so it doesn’t feel unusual on the day of the wedding
  • Avoid hat hair – take your hat to the hairdressers in advance of the wedding so you can discuss a hair style that will suit
  • Shorter ladies should avoid hats with a down turned brim.  An upturned brim will help draw the eye upwards and help you look a little taller
  • Taller ladies should focus on hats with turned down brims and lots of decoration

Wedding Fascinators

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Fascinators can create a certain wow factor and complete your look without hiding your hairstyle.

Fascinators work best if you choose colours that contrast with your hair tone, so if you are dark, choose light or brighter colours.  If you have fair hair, we would suggest going for a contrasting light colour or a deeper richer shade.

Top Tips For Wearing Fascinators

  • If you wear glasses a fascinator can normally work better than a hat
  • As a general rule larger ladies should choose a larger fascinator to remain in proportion.  The rest is up to you!
  • If you have a fuller face choose a fascinator with more detail
  • If you have a narrower face choose a fascinator that can add width
  • If you decide to wear your hair up,  consider bunching it to one side to allow your fascinator to sit within the hair
  • If you are wearing a hat you will need to consider wearing it all day, or face the dreaded hat hair underneath.  You don’t have this problem with fascinators.  Fascinators can be worn for the whole day.  They look great both at the service and at an evening reception.

Hat Etiquette

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The mother of the groom should always choose a wedding hat smaller than the mother of the bride’s.  This is a set rule across all social situations that dictates that guests should never out-shine their hosts.  If you and your groom are hosting the wedding then the two Mums can opt for equally grand creations.

Make sure that your groom and groomsmen know their etiquette if they’re wearing top hats. As well as removing them when indoors, they should remove their hats whenever speaking to a lady – in particular their new mother-in-law.  It’s a sign of respect that dates back generations.

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The mother of the bride dictates when other ladies may remove their hats and fascinators.  Until she removes her hat, other ladies are expected to leave theirs on.

Well I do hope that this little blog has been helpful in allowing you to choose – Hat or Fascinator.  Happy shopping!

Alyson at St Audries Park

If you have any questions relating to having your wedding at St Audries Park, please don't hesitate to call Sally via the contact details below:

Sally

T: 01984 633 633
E: info@audries-park.co.uk

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