Christmas and the winter holidays are festive times. Add in a wedding celebration, and you will surely find yourself feeling merry. If you are like most wedding guests, you will also find yourself wondering what on earth you should wear! This is a helpful guide to help you decide what to wear to a holiday wedding.

The first thing to keep in mind is that a December wedding is going to be more festive and dressy than one at a different time of the year. It is simply the spirit of the season. This means that you would dress up more for a holiday wedding than you would for one at the same time of day in the summer or fall. Even in the daytime, guests can have fun wearing luxurious fabrics like velvet and accessorizing with plenty of sparkly jewelry, such as Swarovski crystal bracelets.

For an afternoon holiday wedding, one of the best looks is a velvet ensemble in a jewel tone. Think about what you might wear if you were hosting a holiday open house and choose something along those lines. A great style would be a flowing pair of silk velvet trousers worn with a beaded cashmere cardigan over a silk cami. For daytime, try to stay away from too much black; velvet in rich shades like ruby, forest, navy, or brown will be more festive and cheerful.

Another wonderful daytime wedding outfit would be a fitted velvet jacket worn over a skirt with patent leather heels. A long silk crepe skirt with great movement would be lovely, or choose a knee length pencil skirt. To add dimension and visual interest, layer in contrasting fabrics, such as a satin pencil skirt with a portrait collar velvet jacket. Have some fun with wintery accessories, such as Swarovski crystal snowflake earrings worn with a few ruby red crystal bracelets. This will put the perfect finishing touch on your holiday wedding attire.

When you are invited to an evening holiday wedding, it is your chance to really dress to the nines. Short beaded cocktail dresses are smashing, as are long ballskirts worn with fitted tops. Even in the winter, many of the formal items are sleeveless, so be sure to buy a stylish wrap. A fur shrug or a luxe cashmere wrap would be gorgeous and cozy. For even more style, secure your wrap with a jeweled brooch. Of course, if the wedding is black tie, a full length evening gown is ideal, worn with silk shoes. You may even wish to add a special accent to your hair, such as a set of crystal hairpins. Swarovski crystal chandelier earrings will also look amazing for such a fancy wedding.

The gentlemen invited to a holiday wedding should also plan to step up their style a notch. They can have some fun with richly textured suits in flannel or tweed for the day, or wear a dashing tuxedo for a formal evening wedding. Add a touch of holiday cheer to the outfit with a plaid bowtie or a straight tie with a subtle winter pattern, such as a holly design. Subtle being the key word here: no ties depicting snowboarding Santas or ones with light-up Rudolph noses, please!

A winter holiday wedding is unmatched for its festive nature. As a guest at such a wedding, you will have the chance to put together a really fantastic outfit which will be a lot of fun to wear. Take advantage of the opportunity, and choose wedding guest attire that is festive and a bit glamorous.