As weddings are becoming more and more diverse in their style and theme, so are the outfits that guests are wearing. Providing suggested attire will help ensure guests dress appropriately for your big day based on your venue, location, weather, theme and formality. Guests will also appreciate the guidance so they don't show up too casual or too dressy – no one wants to feel like they're out of place! We always suggest including this guideline within your mailed invitation but you can also go into more detail (if desired) on your wedding website. Explore the different types of attire below to choose how to best suggest attire for your guests within your wedding invitations.
Black Tie
Black Tie attire specifies that men should wear a tuxedo and women should wear formal, floor-length gowns. Black Tie wedding attire is formal, extremely dressy and allows little room for other allowances.
Photo Credit: Michele Beckwith
Black Tie Optional
Formal Attire
Cocktail Attire
Semi-Formal or Dressy Casual Attire
Beach Formal
Daytime Attire or Casual Attire
But you can get even more specific…
You may also consider requesting guests to dress with a theme or color palette in mind, which will in-turn create the perfect aesthetic for Pinterest-worthy photos. The key here is keeping in mind that not all guests will be able to (or want to) follow the suggestion. If you do decide to make this request, we suggest including this information on a Details card – not the invitation (where the attire suggestion normally goes). This will allow more space for you to provide in-depth details about your request while keeping your invitation card clean and formal.
There can be gray areas in knowing what verbiage to use when suggesting the right attire for a wedding, but using the guidelines above will help make this process easier, and again, remember to consider your wedding venue, location, weather, theme and formality. In the end, providing this suggestion eliminates confusion for your guests and provides you peace of mind that everyone will arrive dressed appropriately and picture-ready.