How to give your guests some guidelines
At Flair, office talk typically consists of things like bustles, veils, lace, sweetheart tops and all others things “bridal.” Today, however, we decided to take a minute to discuss another aspect of the wedding wear world; dress codes! After all, you spend alot of time and money making sure you look amazing, so your guests need to follow suit! Here’s a breakdown/explanation of the major dress code options, so you can decide what’s right for your big day:
1) White Tie: This is the most formal option. All ladies MUST wear floor length evening gowns and the men are required to don a tuxedo and tails, complete with a formal white shirt, white vest and bow tie, white or gray gloves, and black formal shoes. This dress code is not for the faint of heart, and you might meet a little resistance from some of your guests, so be 100% sure this look matches your wedding theme/venue before requiring it.
Thanks to mytuxedocatalog.com for this explanation! The main difference between a tux and a suit is that a tux has satin elements. Who knew?
2) Black Tie – The most standard/popular of the formal dress code options. For the ladies, long dresses are still preferred but the occasional, formal cocktail dress is also acceptable. Note to wedding guests: if you opt for a short dress, just make sure it’s a WOW; your average, everyday knee length dress won’t cut it for black tie! As for the gentlemen, tuxedos are still your best bet, although tails, gloves and bow ties are not required as they are with white tie. Depending on the formality of the venue and the time of day, a formal, conservative, and traditional black suit is also an acceptable option.
3) Black Tie Optional – Another popular choice, this indicates that a tux is not required, but that the event will be formal enough that one wouldn’t look out of place, either. So, guests should use that as a clue when choosing their attire. Ladies should still err on the side of long dresses and men in tuxes or dark, formal suits.
4) Semi-formal – This option starts to give your guests alot more flexibility. Dark suits are not required (though jackets and ties still are), and it is perfectly acceptable for the ladies to wear knee length dresses or even formal skirt and top sets. For a daytime, yet formal event, this is a great choice.
5) Casual – Up until this point we were focusing on ensuring that your guests look formal enough, but with a casual dress code you want to make sure they don’t overdress. Typically, a casual dress code is for a daytime, outdoor wedding, so long dresses might look out of place and tuxes certainly will! For the women, a summery sundress is more than appropriate, just make sure you choose one in a light fabric; satin dresses need not apply! For the men, you can leave your jackets and ties at home! Slacks and a button down shirt are perfectly acceptable.
Want to ensure that your man is dressed just right? Amazing menswear company Paul Fredrick created this super helpful graphic!
Now that you’ve thought about which dress code is right for you, it’s time to tell your guests! When creating your invitations, put your dress code at the bottom center or the bottom right of your main invite card – if the reception and ceremony are in the same location. If the reception is in a separate venue, it is also acceptable to list your dress code on the reception card.
Duh, we had to use Kim K’s invite as an example. Her marriage, however we won’t emulate 😉
Make sense? Attire is important so if you have any questions, your favorite wedding fashionistas at Flair are always here to help! 🙂
