Wedding Attire

Last summer I went to a beautiful wedding in Chicago (above is a photograph of me and my besties ). It was an amazing ceremony with an absolutely perfect after party! All of the guests in attendance looked just as nice in their black tie attire and danced the night away. In honor of “wedding season” and the mystery of “What do I wear?”, I thought I’d put together a post on wedding attire and what is considered appropriate and inappropriate.

While it’s exciting to receive a wedding invite in the mail, decoding the difference between the appropriate attire requested by the bride and groom can leave you confused. Last month when i received one in the mail that said casual I thought surely it’s not appropriate to wear jeans and flip flops so I did a little research on how to choose what to wear.

Black Tie. Black tie is the most formal of all of the wedding dress codes out there. I suggest wearing an evening gown or a very elegant cocktail dress. Dramatic jewelry, sequins, sparkles are all welcomed and an undo hairstyle is suggested.

Semi-Formal. Wear a nice cocktail dress or a dressy blouse and skirt. If the wedding is during the day, opt for lighter colors and fabrics (obviously no ivory or white). For a nighttime wedding, bolder shades work well like a deep red or purple.

Casual. This is the one that stumped me recently because in my mind it means anything goes. Ladies, wear a sundress or a nice blouse and skirt. I purchased the one below for tonight’s wedding from Dottie Couture Boutique. Wedges, sandals, heels or flats are all acceptable for a casual invite. No flip flops or jeans.