I seem to switch between two dresses when it comes to wedding guest wear: a By Malene Birger embellished dress or a Lanvin x H&M black ruffled dress. The Malene B. dress has an open back and feels more summer-y to me (though the sparkly embellishments would fit well for NYE.) So I crossed that dress off my potentials list when I saw the mid-November date for my friend L's wedding. That left the Lanvin x H&M black ruffled dress. Black is always a safe choice and I figured the thicker material could help keep me somewhat warm (random justification on my part because any warmth is probably negated by the one-shoulder design?)

Before I fully committed to the Lanvin x H&M dress, I couldn't help but give in to the idea of shopping for a new dress to wear for a special occasion. I gave the Ann Taylor feathered hem dress a shot (runs large, tried on 00P), but sided with the majority and went with the Lanvin x H&M dress as the final pick.

The wedding was held at DAR Memorial Continental Hall, the smaller and older sister of the more famous Constitution Hall. Parts of the building were undergoing renovations when we were there (see random ladder in last pic), but that didn't detract from the beautiful architecture and elegant detailing found throughout. Case in point: the Pennsylvania foyer for the couple's first dance [photo below].
I loved L's entire look for her wedding day. The hair, the makeup, the dress (!) She looked gorgeous. The dress very much reminded me of old Hollywood glamour, which also complemented the venue perfectly. After I uploaded a couple photos to social media, one of my male coworkers (who doesn't strike me as someone who cares about fashion at all) made it a point to tell me that my "friend who got married looked so pretty. Some girls pick dresses that aren't flattering, but hers was perfect for her." What a nice thing to say :) Congrats L+S!

Outfit photos thanks to DH!