Expert Tips on Preparing a Dress Code for Your Wedding Guests

Choosing to hold a wedding allows you to share your love with the people you and your partner care most about. Surrounding yourself with your desired community will help make your big day extra special, allowing your family and friends to participate in the celebration of your union. To ensure that everyone is up to speed with your dream wedding ambiance, you must set a dress code for your guests. This way, everyone will know how they’re expected to dress up on your special day, and no one will feel out of place when they celebrate with you.

Perhaps you’ve attended a wedding or two in the past where the event’s dress code was not expressly indicated, thus resulting in some confusion among the guests. Now, you want to prevent this from happening at your wedding. To ensure that you and your guests are all on the same page, you can do the following:

Decide Early on the Dress Code

Preparing an appropriate dress for a special occasion like a wedding takes time, even for guests. Give your guests enough time to plan their outfits on your special day by announcing your dress code early. Just like you, perhaps your guests would like the chance to study their options better and maybe even have their clothes tailored so they can celebrate with you and your new spouse in style. It takes a bit of time to find the perfect opaque tights to go with their dresses and skirts, more so if they want to ensure that their clothes are perfectly tailored to their size. Your guests will enjoy helping you make your event a more special occasion by being in their best clothes, so give them the time to do so. 

Consider the Weather and Venue of Your Wedding

It’s not enough to think about the overall theme that you’ll be having at the ceremony. It’s also important to consider the season, weather forecasts, and even the transportation options your guests will need. If it’s cold, ensure that the dress code you’ll set for your guests suits the weather. This way, your guests will stay comfortable and enjoy the moment instead of worrying about staying warm or dry. If your guests will be travelling from far-off places to attend your wedding, deciding on clothes that won’t take up too much space in one’s luggage is a good idea. 

Add the Dress Code Details to Your Invitation and Website

Inform your guests of your desired dress code by indicating your invitation and wedding website details. If any of your guests forget the specifics of the event, they can look at their invites to ensure they have the proper attire. Your wedding website can also have a space where you can post photos of sample attire that can serve as a peg for your guests. This tool will give your guests a clearer idea of the clothes that best fit the occasion and the theme you have in mind. 

Be Open to Discussing Wardrobe Options with Guests

If you have time, perhaps you can help your guests with their wardrobe options for your wedding. Encourage them to ask you questions if there are details about the dress code they are unsure about. By getting the facts straight from you, your guests can be sure that they won’t feel out of place with their choice of clothes once they get to your wedding venue. 

Use Social Media to Share Your Dress Code Ideas

Perhaps a good portion of your guests are active social media users? If this is the case, you can share a more detailed guide that showcases your vision for the day. Aside from browsing through images of outfit ideas you’ve collated from online sources, your guests may appreciate seeing an inspiration board for the theme of your wedding. This will also offer them practical assistance, such as bringing a hat to an afternoon garden wedding or swapping high heels for sandals if your ceremony will be held at a sandy beachfront. 

Standard Options When Choosing Wedding Dress Codes

There are plenty of different wedding dress codes, and deciphering each can be easier. However, now that you’re putting your event together, reviewing your options is essential so you and your guests can stay on the same page. These are the most common dress code types:

• Destination. The dress code for destination weddings often depends on where the event is. Sundresses and guayabera shirts, for example, can be appropriate for weddings in tropical destinations. However, these outfits can be topped with a blazer or jacket on colder days. 
• Casual. Casual dress codes, commonly used for indoor and beach weddings, call for more relaxed attire such as summer dresses, wedges for women, dress pants, and collared shirts for men.
• Semi-formal. Also called dressy casual, this dress code can work with darker or lighter colours depending on the event’s time. This dress code often calls for dresses that extend below the knee or pantsuits for women and dress shirts and slacks for men. 

• Cocktail. A cocktail dress code is perfect if you want to balance comfort with an elegant look. Men are expected to wear a suit and tie to such an event, while women can go with stylish knee-length or midi dresses. 
• Formal. A step down from the formality of a black-tie dress code, a standard dress code calls for men to be in a legal suit in dark colours, with a white shirt underneath and a tie in between. Women can wear floor-length gowns, stylish cocktail dresses, or elegant pantsuits.
• Black Tie. Often used for evening events, a black tie dress code means that women are expected to dress in the same selection of clothes that they would wear for a formal occasion. Men, on the other hand, should be in tuxedos and wear black bowties and leather shoes. 
• White Tie. The white tie dress code is rarely used as it’s typically reserved for royal banquets and other occasions. For men, this means wearing a tuxedo with tails, a formal white shirt, a vest, and accessories like a bowtie and gloves. This typically calls for a floor-length evening gown and glamorous clutches, among other accoutrements for women. 

Now that you’ve brushed up on your dress code options, choose one that suits your wedding details and communicate your choice to everyone in attendance. Follow the tips above, and you’ll have an easier time ensuring that every one of your guests will feel that they’re a part of your chosen community on your wedding day.