What to wear to a wedding: dress codes, decoded
6 min read
A dress code on an invitation is a kindness: it tells guests how dressed up the day will be, so nobody arrives in linen to a ballroom. The trouble is the words, which mean more to some guests than others. Here is what each one asks for, from black tie down to smart casual.
Black tie
The most formal code most weddings use. Floor-length gowns, or an elegant cocktail dress in a rich fabric; a dinner suit with a bow tie for the men. Black tie belongs to evening weddings, usually indoors, often with a seated dinner.
Formal, or black tie optional
One step down. Long dresses or dressy cocktail dresses, and dark suits with ties; a dinner suit is welcome but not expected. When an invitation says black tie optional, the couple will be in black tie and would like the room to be close to it.
Cocktail
The most common code, and the easiest. Knee or midi length dresses, a smart jumpsuit, dressy separates; suits, with or without a tie. Colour and pattern are welcome; the effect should be polished rather than grand.
Semi formal
Between cocktail and smart casual, and it moves with the hour. In the day, lighter suits and summer dresses; in the evening, darker colours and a little more polish.
Garden party
Florals, midi dresses, soft colours, a hat if you like one; linen or light suits, a tie optional. Choose block heels or flats over stilettos, which sink into the lawn, and bring a layer for the evening.
Beach formal
Formal in spirit, light in fabric. Flowing maxi dresses and breathable fabrics; linen suits, no tie, shirts open at the collar. Flat sandals rather than heels, and nothing that minds a little sand or salt.
Smart casual
Relaxed, not careless. Summer dresses, smart trousers, a blazer over a shirt without a tie. Jeans only if the couple say so, and trainers only if they are very clean and the invitation is very relaxed.
When the code is a colour
More couples now give a palette rather than, or as well as, a dress code: pastels, jewel tones, earth tones, all white. It is an invitation to dress in those colours so the photographs come out as one picture. Choose something in the palette, and if the palette is all white, that is the one time white is right.
On a MyEventOS invitation, the dress code page shows the code with a drawing like these and the colours the couple would like to see, so guests can picture it before they shop.
Whatever the code
- Do not wear white or ivory unless the couple ask for it.
- Dress for the place: covered shoulders for some religious ceremonies, flat shoes for grass and sand.
- Bring a layer for the evening, when an outdoor wedding cools down.
- When in doubt, dress one step up. Nobody minds an overdressed guest.
Collect the answers while you are at it
MyEventOS turns the invitation, the RSVP and the guest list into one link, and counts the replies as they land. Free to design, free to send, and the first ten replies are included.
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