With wedding season underway, I’ve been getting a lot of questions on what to wear. And I had to ask myself the same question this past weekend.

Luckily, cocktail attire is one of the easier wedding dress codes. I opted for neutrals and shine with this Zimmermann dress from LIVE! on Sunset. A metallic dress is a great choice since it can carry you through from spring into winter.

If you want to go with color, try spring’s trendy pastels. You can also go bright as long as you steer clear from red or hot pink (you don’t want to distract from the bride!).

Prefer dark? Black is totally acceptable, especially for an evening affair. But I usually opt a pewter or navy when it comes to weddings.

As for length? Short is fine as long as you don’t go mini. Revealing is never an adjective you want for a wedding. Here are a few affordable options I found online:

1. Guilia, $178
2. BCBGMaxAzria, $248
3. Donna Morgan, $158
4. Cynthia Steffe, $255
5. ML Monique Lhuillier, $198
6. Donna Morgan, $148
7. Eliza J, $198
8. Abi Ferrin, $258 (you can wear this dress 5 different ways!)

Keep reading for detail shots on my cocktail wedding look!