Hikin' Mama Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 (edited) What is formal attire for a wedding? (Men and women.) We always wear nice clothes to weddings, but I have never attended one that specified what type of attire one is supposed to wear. We can look nice but are not exactly "formal" people. Help a clueless former Hiver out please! P.S. I have Googled, but I got all sorts of answers. Edited October 10, 2018 by Hikin' Mama Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 Day time? Evening? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 Men is a suit. Generally for women it's a long dres. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 Welcome back, Hikin’ Mama! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hikin' Mama Posted October 10, 2018 Author Share Posted October 10, 2018 15 minutes ago, Jean in Newcastle said: Day time? Evening? Wedding is at 2. Reception is at 4. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hikin' Mama Posted October 10, 2018 Author Share Posted October 10, 2018 2 minutes ago, Catwoman said: Welcome back, Hikin’ Mama! Thanks, Catwoman! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hikin' Mama Posted October 10, 2018 Author Share Posted October 10, 2018 11 minutes ago, gardenmom5 said: Men is a suit. Generally for women it's a long dres. Darn! We have neither. I did buy a new nice dress (not long, but I look nice in it and wore it to another wedding this summer and was dressier than many) and shoes and the hubs has nice slacks, shirt, and tie. Hmmm... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 I would wear a nice dress (not maxi length) to a 2 pm wedding. My guess is that they don’t want people showing up in jeans. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scholastica Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 Are you close enough to members of the family that you can clarify expectations with them? Different people have different definitions of the term "formal", and it varies from region to region. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 My niece recently had a formal wedding but it was at 5 p.m. The request was long dresses for the ladies, tuxes for the guys. Most wore long skirts or dresses, a few came in cocktail dress. The men in suit and tie if they didn't want to go to expense of a tux. Just like you I was searching all over the internet and found very little expect for formal generally means skirt below the knees. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Familia Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 1 hour ago, Jean in Newcastle said: I would wear a nice dress (not maxi length) to a 2 pm wedding. My guess is that they don’t want people showing up in jeans. I agree with this. I’m often surprised (and shocked) at how casual people dress these days! What you plan to wear sounds very nice. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 2 hours ago, Hikin' Mama said: What is formal attire for a wedding? (Men and women.) We always wear nice clothes to weddings, but I have never attended one that specified what type of attire one is supposed to wear. We can look nice but are not exactly "formal" people. Help a clueless former Hiver out please! P.S. I have Googled, but I got all sorts of answers. For the record, it really isn't correct to give instructions to guests on what to wear, so there's that. Formal: dark business suits for men, long dresses for women. But a wedding at 2 in the afternoon is not "formal;" you would be safe if Mr. Hikin' Mama wears a suit of any kind, and you wear a dress of any kind (but not a long dress; those are worn at the most formal weddings, an evening church wedding). 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 (edited) I’d ask the bride/groom. Edited October 10, 2018 by Garga 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth S Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 (edited) I would definitely just wear your dress, and your dh his shirt & tie. We got an invite to an outdoor afternoon summer wedding that said "Black Tie Optional". This technically meant like "Downton Abbey" level of dress-up. In reality, the Black Tie was VERY Optional! Most guys wore a button down shirt & nice pants (No tie)! My rule of thumb is that a woman can wear Black Pants to just about any occasion! ? Edited October 11, 2018 by Beth S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolt. Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 Dress of any length, but not casual in style. Formal shouldn’t mean that the skirt must be long — unless these people are very very picky. Things like the fabric, the fit and the accessories are more important. Jacket with tie at least, but a suit is a better fit. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessMommy Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 2 hours ago, Jean in Newcastle said: I would wear a nice dress (not maxi length) to a 2 pm wedding. My guess is that they don’t want people showing up in jeans. I agree. Our son's wedding invitation said formal. It meant wear dressy clothes - men in suits, women dressed nicely (dresses or slacks), but not long dresses. I wore a midi-length mother-of-the groom dress as did the MOB. I think this becoming common because our culture is so dressed-down. People often go to church in very casual clothing (jeans/t-shirt). And, of course, a lot of people don't go to church anyway, so there may not be a gauge on what to wear to certain events. There are weddings that are also less formal (weddings with a cowboy/bbq theme for instance). I think this is a way to kindly convey a message that you should dress nicely for an event. I think if it had said "Evening Formal" then you should wear a long dress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 2 minutes ago, Beth S said: I would definitely ask the bride/groom/family. We got an invite to an outdoor afternoon summer wedding that said "Black Tie Optional". This technically meant like "Downton Abbey" level of dress-up. In reality, the Black Tie was VERY Optional! Most guys wore a button down shirt & nice pants (No tie)! My rule of thumb is that a woman can wear Black Pants to just about any occasion! ? I’ve seen it go the opposite direction, too. My niece was doing one of those oh-so-popular barn weddings (although it is a “Chip and Joanna” barn for events, not an honest-to-goodness barn that houses livestock). Her mother told my SIL it was, “pretty casual; like dressy casual.” Her dress was fine but my BIL was embarassed he did not wear a tie or jacket. The large majority of men were dressier than that and virtually everyone had a tie. I tend to think a little over- is better than a little under-dressed. If in doubt I still dress “up” a bit, unless the bride literally told me it is in a cow pasture and the groomsmen are wearing jeans and cowboy boots, which was true for one wedding I attended. I never take my cues from others who tell me what they plan to wear, ever since that time I ended up having dinner in The Rainbow Room in NYC wearing jeans and hiking boots... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth S Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 14 minutes ago, Quill said: I’ve seen it go the opposite direction, too. My niece was doing one of those oh-so-popular barn weddings (although it is a “Chip and Joanna” barn for events, not an honest-to-goodness barn that houses livestock). Her mother told my SIL it was, “pretty casual; like dressy casual.” Her dress was fine but my BIL was embarassed he did not wear a tie or jacket. The large majority of men were dressier than that and virtually everyone had a tie. I tend to think a little over- is better than a little under-dressed. If in doubt I still dress “up” a bit, unless the bride literally told me it is in a cow pasture and the groomsmen are wearing jeans and cowboy boots, which was true for one wedding I attended. I never take my cues from others who tell me what they plan to wear, ever since that time I ended up having dinner in The Rainbow Room in NYC wearing jeans and hiking boots... Oh, My. Yes. The Cowboy Themed Wedding is a whole 'nother level of unpredictability! ? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam in CT Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 2/4p would be early for "formal" around here -- too early for the dreaded "black tie optional" circus. I'd go with dark suit for men/ solid color (not black, not floor length) dress for women. Or call the bride/groom. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausmumof3 Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 4 hours ago, Hikin' Mama said: Darn! We have neither. I did buy a new nice dress (not long, but I look nice in it and wore it to another wedding this summer and was dressier than many) and shoes and the hubs has nice slacks, shirt, and tie. Hmmm... I think that would be fine myself. Unless there was specification that it was black tie or something. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefgazer Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 (edited) What did the invitation say about expected dress? Is it a day or evening wedding? For day, men should assume a suit and women a cocktail dress for day. Edited October 11, 2018 by Reefgazer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 I attended nephew's wedding in September - mostly outdoor venue 3pm - in black slacks and an elegant, lacy cream-colored tunic top with black pumps. I also wore a hat because September here is still rather sunny though we were lucky that day and there was a nice breeze and lots of large trees providing shade. I felt neither over nor under dressed. This is CA though and I have often heard that East coast weddings are far more dressy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hikin' Mama Posted October 11, 2018 Author Share Posted October 11, 2018 I greatly appreciate all the replies! I have decided to stick with the dress I have, which is a solid color, has some bling around the neckline, and falls below my knee. It is not a casual dress. I will even be wearing heels, which I rarely ever do. (I'm a flip flop and running shoe kinda gal.) My husband is going to try on a jacket of his brother's. If that doesn't work, we will just go buy a jacket for him. It doesn't stress the budget, but I really don't like spending money on things that will probably never get worn again. (My dress was very inexpensive at Ross. ?) The funny thing is that the invitation did not specify dress, but the website did. If I hadn't looked at the website I would never have thought about it. Now I can focus on more important matters. Ha ha! I have missed the experience of the Hive. I really don't think there is anywhere else with such a great group of people to learn from. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 21 minutes ago, Hikin' Mama said: I greatly appreciate all the replies! I have decided to stick with the dress I have, which is a solid color, has some bling around the neckline, and falls below my knee. It is not a casual dress. I will even be wearing heels, which I rarely ever do. (I'm a flip flop and running shoe kinda gal.) My husband is going to try on a jacket of his brother's. If that doesn't work, we will just go buy a jacket for him. It doesn't stress the budget, but I really don't like spending money on things that will probably never get worn again. (My dress was very inexpensive at Ross. ?) The funny thing is that the invitation did not specify dress, but the website did. If I hadn't looked at the website I would never have thought about it. Now I can focus on more important matters. Ha ha! I have missed the experience of the Hive. I really don't think there is anywhere else with such a great group of people to learn from. I intentionally bought a top that I could wear on other occasions - even though they are used to my business casual at work that they commented on the top when I wore it once. ? I had the slacks and pumps already. Does that last sentence mean you will pop in more often? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RenaInTexas Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 Sometimes it is the establishment that has a dress code. I once got a 'No Children Allowed' invite (establishment rules). We had to decline the invitation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 13 hours ago, Quill said: I’ve seen it go the opposite direction, too. My niece was doing one of those oh-so-popular barn weddings (although it is a “Chip and Joanna” barn for events, not an honest-to-goodness barn that houses livestock). Her mother told my SIL it was, “pretty casual; like dressy casual.” Her dress was fine but my BIL was embarassed he did not wear a tie or jacket. The large majority of men were dressier than that and virtually everyone had a tie. I tend to think a little over- is better than a little under-dressed. If in doubt I still dress “up” a bit, unless the bride literally told me it is in a cow pasture and the groomsmen are wearing jeans and cowboy boots, which was true for one wedding I attended. I never take my cues from others who tell me what they plan to wear, ever since that time I ended up having dinner in The Rainbow Room in NYC wearing jeans and hiking boots... Jeans and cowboy boots doesn't necessarily mean informal. At my sister's wedding, the women were in largely formal attire, for men it was "Texas formal" which means nice jeans, cowboy boots (the fancy kind if you have 'em), and dress shirts. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausmumof3 Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 2 minutes ago, Ravin said: Jeans and cowboy boots doesn't necessarily mean informal. At my sister's wedding, the women were in largely formal attire, for men it was "Texas formal" which means nice jeans, cowboy boots (the fancy kind if you have 'em), and dress shirts. Cowboy boots for both boys and girls are quite a trend for weddings down here in the semi country crowd! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldberry Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 17 hours ago, Jean in Newcastle said: I would wear a nice dress (not maxi length) to a 2 pm wedding. My guess is that they don’t want people showing up in jeans. Someone showed up to my friend's daughter's wedding this summer in cutoff shorts and a tank top. Everyone else was in suits and dresses/slacks. Then she spent A LOT of time on the dance floor... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 26 minutes ago, goldberry said: Someone showed up to my friend's daughter's wedding this summer in cutoff shorts and a tank top. Everyone else was in suits and dresses/slacks. Then she spent A LOT of time on the dance floor... Us too. My daughters outdoor wedding was in the afternoon, but everyone dressed very nice (formal gown/tuxes for bridal party)....except the uninvited extra guests that someone brought along. They were teenagers so they likely didn't know better. The groom asked that the uninvited guests leave after the wedding but before the reception, which also meant that a few invited guests had to leave too since they drove together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.