'I spent months worrying about what to wear as a wedding guest. Here is everything I considered.'

I'm not sure what was going on in my pretty lil' head when I wrote about shopping for a wedding guest dress a few months back.

I was silly to believe I had the budget for most of the dresses I really wanted (to those JessaKae gowns, I'll be dreaming of you). 

Eventually, after a lot of soul searching (along with the added pressure of a deadline to write this story), I told myself I'd go deep into the recesses of my closet and find something there. 

Watch: How much should a wedding dress cost? Post continues after video.

I knew I could budget for ONE (!?) dress, but I made a rule for myself that it absolutely had to be the outfit I was going to wear on the big day, or it was an instant return.

In the meantime, I pulled out dresses I hadn't worn in years. Pants that could look nice with a formal top. Skirts that had the possibility look good with the right pair of earrings. Anything that could match my favourite pair of sneakers. 

I wanted a wedding outfit that was comfortable, beautiful and something that would look right with a coat. 

Here are the outfits I tried on, including what I will be wearing on my friends' (and my...) big day. 

1. A yellow dress with a lot of side boob and frontal boob and nipple boob. 

Admittedly, I've worn this dress... way too many times. To the park when lockdown picnics were the only way we could get out of the house. To birthday dinners and family parties. I've even worn it grocery shopping and one time I fell asleep in it and tore one of the buttons off (thankfully, my housemate is good at sewing... he even made my bridesmaid dress a few years ago!). 

It is, obviously, beautiful. Every time I wear it, I feel golden. But it is just... it feels like there is too much boob. As a professional lady, who was asked to MC the wedding event a few weeks ago, this won't help me feel comfortable. 

An oldie but a goodie (ignore the wine-fuelled injury on the right). Image: Supplied.

So it's a no... Or is it? 

(It definitely is.)

2 Fun pants that are not at all fun. 

I moved houses recently and when I looked through my closet; I realised I didn't have a single pair of fun pants anymore. 

All of them must have gone in the bin. 

I had a vision of wearing white leather with a black wrap-around top, but that doesn't work when the only pants you have are the black ones you wear to work and sometimes to the pub. 

I tried it on anyway, with a pretty top to get the vision going on. 

I look like I missed the dress code memo. Image: Supplied.

I don't hate it but I definitely don't love it. 

Mostly because I could very much pull up to a meeting with my boss and know it was appropriate. 

Like a wedding needs to have a little glamour to it, right? Right?! 

3. Too much velvet? 

I wore this to my university graduation in 2018 but had bought it maybe three years prior because I knew I wanted to save it for a special occasion. 

I've only worn it again in moments of desperation like when there is a delivery at the door and everything I own is in the laundry. 

So I tried it on again and look, it's definitely pretty. 

Is this... too much velvet? Image: Supplied.

I actually really like it. 

But is it too much velvet? Is that possible?

4. Too white? 

Unlike the little number before, this one stood out. 

And not in a good way. In the worst way possible. 

First of all, it is way too white. I look like a bride about to elope. 

Second of all, I ripped the sleeve of this as I was just about to take photos, so we're going to go back in time so you can see it in its former glory. 

Giving bride to be. Image: Supplied.

Giving runaway bride, don't you reckon? 

It's a no. BIG HUGE NO. But goodness it was pretty. 

Listen to this episode of What Are You Wearing, Mamamia's fashion podcast. Post continues after audio. 

5. The dress I'm wearing. 

The second I pulled this dress out of the wrapping, I felt conflicted. I had so many nice(ish) outfits to choose from in my closet. Some I hadn't worn in ages. Others I had never worn at all. 

So I asked myself why I was making such an unnecessary purchase. It felt wrong to blow money on a dress, to contribute to the cycle of fast fashion, to be a SLAVE to consumerism, especially after hitting my goal of not buying clothes for a year (you can read allllll about that here.)

But then I tried it on and I knew I found the one. I can now proudly say I made the right choice in buying this dress. 

I think we have a winner, friends! Image: Supplied.

I got this one from ASOS, with a 20 per cent discount. It is a satin-style fabric, with long sleeves and a tie waist. As someone with a larger bust, the wrap-style dress was the right way to go.

With the wedding just three weeks away, I can rest assured in knowing I've gotten the outfit sorted out. 

But now what am I going to do with my hair?!

For more from Shannen, you can find her on Instagram @shannenfindlay.

Feature Image: Supplied.