the_vagabond

I'm going to be attending a wedding reception for a childhood friend in two weeks, but as I haven't attended something like this since I was in middle school, I have no idea how formally I need to dress.

The reception is being held at the family's home, and is in the afternoon (2-7); also, the bride and groom were already wed months ago in Las Vegas, this reception is just for the family & friends who couldn't attend.

Would a simple summer dress with sandals be too casual? Maybe a long skirt wit a nice blouse? I'm a broke college student with very few "dressy" pieces in my wardrobe, and I'd rather not have to buy a ton of clothes for this event.

Also, am I obligated to bring a gift? The bride comes from a rather well-to-do family, and the couple has lived together for years; does etiquette still require that I give some kind of token gift?

Thanks for your responses

I got my ears pierced at a 12-gage eight weeks ago, and one side seems to be mostly healed, while the other is still getting red crusty funk around it. I'm going on vacation in a few days, and would REALLY like to switch jewelry; the new earrings I have are the same material as the ones in my ears (glass), and I can sterilize them beforehand, though they are spirals and so a bit heavier than the simple posts I have in right now.

Do you think this will cause complications? Should they be mostly healed at 8 weeks anyway?