One of the most fun parts of wedding planning, in my opinion, is thinking about what your whole day will look like together. The overall theme and vibe of your wedding is based on your venue, food choice, music style, and your personalities shining through in things like decor, guestbook, and any favors you may have! Another huge factor in this is how your guests look and dress.
How to pick a guest code that’s right for you
Trying to fit all of the pieces of your wedding day together can be tricky! Picking a dress code that helps add to your vision and feels like you can be a helpful step. Everyone has heard of those out-there wedding dress codes like “western formal”, “garden party”, “eclectic black tie”, or “outdress the bride”, but what do these actually mean? Taking some time to consider what you want the guest code to look like can help you execute your vision and help your guests to understand.
Understanding the basics of wedding dress codes
Before picking a fun theme, it’s important to first think of the attire guests should be wearing! Do you want white tie, black tie, formal, cocktail, semi-formal, casual, or something else? The Knot explains every option from country to castles and Brides gives a bit more of a straight forward answer. Nailing this down first allows you to pick a fun and achievable theme!
Communicating your dress code to your guests
We’ve all been there, staring at a wedding invitation thinking “What the heck does this mean and more importantly, what am I going to wear?!”. To alleviate this stress from your guests and make sure you get the guest lookbook of your dreams, remember these four things:
- Pick a basic dress code (black tie, cocktail, formal)
- Have a theme, but don’t make it too out there, ex: “festival formal” vs “sparkles & glitter”
- Write clear instructions (I recommend on your website). Here’s how I wrote mine: “Garden Party” – a semi-formal dress code that encourages bright colors and floral patterns! Folks are invited to wear their best “high tea” looks. Suit jackets, with or without bowtie or tie, pantsuits, jumpsuits, midi dress, tea length dresses, and appropriate short dresses are great options! If you’re anything like me, and can never decide what to wear, here is a inspiration board: https://pin.it/4R5NOTuax. No jeans, shorts, or t-shirts please.
- Make it fun! Include pictures, offer to go shopping with your loved ones if they seem confused, and understand you may have that one person show up in the opposite of what you ask.
All in all, your wedding day is supposed to feel like you, and you wouldn’t be you without your loved ones! Pick a dress code that fits your venue, food, and overall wedding vibe and make sure that you communicate it clearly and easily for guests to be able to achieve it!
Photos in blog from Tonya Hjort Photography, Avery Phillips Photo, and Liv Lyszyk Photography
We are the ‘catch all’ for your event day needs! The Groom’s boutonniere fell off and they need an extra pin? Easy peasy! Taking too long getting those dang loopholes around the buttons on your dress? Girl, don’t sweat it, we have a crochet hook just for that purpose!
